Revisions
by JumbledThoughts
Summary: Alexandria is a girl who has never really fit in, though her problems aren't supernatural so much as physical. She has no wish to be mixed into the life of vampires, werewolves, witches or anything out of the ordinary. Sometimes, though, what you wish for and what you get are two totally different things.
1. Chapter 1

Revisions

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HI! Soooooo, yeah, I recently got back into writing. Well, kind of. More so recently got back into posting stories. I have had this one in the works for a while now, and finally decided that I should just post it and see how it goes :) Have NO idea where this story is going to head, kinda making stuff up as I go. Regardless review with your thoughts if you'd like!

Thanks!

Disclaimer: I own nothing that belongs to True Blood.

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"Hey, Lexie, I need another beer! Budwiser!" I looked up from wiping down the countertop as I heard Arlene, having not been aware enough to see her approaching. I smiled some seeing the exasperated look on her face as she leaned against the side of the bar.

"Long night already?" I sympathized as I moved, getting the glass and pouring the beer into it before setting it down in front of her to take. The red-head rolled her eyes as she nodded some.

"When is it _not_ a long night here?" She huffed a bit and I giggled slightly, shaking my head then as I watched her take the beer and fairly well storm over to the other side of the room. I took notice of the portly group of men that seemed to be leering at her as she approached, and I shook my head some before jumping slightly feeling tiny arms come around my waist.

"Hey there, sugar." Dawn grinned, laying a sloppy kiss on my cheek as I groaned a bit, wiping the wetness away with the back of my hand.

"Dawn, how many times do I have to tell you that I simply do not swing in your direction, babe?" I teased lightly as she threw her head back some, laughing a bit as her eyes twinkled prettily.

"Honey, you'd only be so lucky if I swung in your direction." She replied as she let her arms fall from around me, grabbing a stack of shot glasses and setting them out on the bar top before filling them all with tequila.

"Don't I know it!"

This had become the normal night for me since I reached the age of twenty-one. I had lived in Bon Temps my entire life and grown up with Sookie, Jason, Tara and Dawn, though Dawn was older than Sookie and I by a couple years. When it had come time for me to find a job Sam Merlotte had opened an opportunity for me at his bar, despite the fact that I hardly looked like I belonged. I most definitely could not pull off short-shorts like Dawn, Sookie and Arlene could, nor tight shirts; wearing either would have the opposite effect of what Sam was wanting for the waitresses in his bar.

Unlike the three other waitresses in Merlotte's I was overweight. Not by too much mind you; if I could lose another twenty to twenty-five pounds I'd be well on my way to being average weight for my build. I had already lost fifty pounds since high school, and if I was being honest I had only done it to stop the ridiculing I had received throughout my childhood. I wanted to be a normal young adult, and if that meant losing fifty to seventy pounds then by golly, I had decided one night, I was going to do it! I'll admit that now I looked a lot better than I had, in fact it always felt nice when I ran into someone from school and they commented on how good I looked. They only problem now would be that those who didn't know me before would still see me as some fat chick, and that had been proven over and over by the drunken patrons of Merlotte's bar.

Though snide comments on my weight still hurt, it didn't hurt me nearly as much as it had when I was younger. I'm finally feeling comfortable in my body, and that for me is a huge step that I don't take lightly. Mind you, I'm not comfortable enough to slide into a pair of short shorts and a skintight t-shirt, but I have found out how fun it is to wear skintight jeans and stiletto boots.

Overall, though I have no romantic life to speak of, I'm happy with where I am at the moment. I'm finally happy with myself.

Sookie could sympathize with me on the very desolate romantic life, as with her ability to read minds she often found it difficult to put up with boys she dated for very long. Yes, I knew about Sookie's abilities as I am considered one of her closest friends. Closest next to Tara of course, and Tara and I were quite close as well. I enjoyed her spunk and she let my down to earth attitude help to ground her every once in a while. Overall the three of us had a well functioning friendship, and I hoped it would last.

Back to Sookie, though. It was a shame she was unable to find someone considering she was pretty and had a decent personality to go with her looks. Sure, she wasn't pretty in the same sense as Dawn's long legged, raven haired, exotic pretty, but in a down to earth blonde haired, blue-eyed pretty. Even I could see that if I put effort into it I could be pretty as well, but that was just it; I had to put effort into it. Effort that I rarely had the energy to put forth, as it were, on a daily basis. I could turn heads, though, if the mood caught me. Maybe not many, but some, and that helped me walk with my head a little higher and back straighter than it had been in high school.

I shook myself out of my deep thoughts and reflections to notice that Dawn had already moved away with her shots of tequila, and I went back to wiping down the counter.

"Hey, sweetheart." Sam's voice came from beside me as I looked over and gave the older man a small smile. "How you doing tonight?"

"They're actually pretty well behaved tonight." I replied, knowing what he had meant. Being at the bar usually meant being harassed at one point or another, even I couldn't get away from grease balls trying to pick me up every once in a while. I could normally handle it pretty well, though, and I had far less trouble than the other women here when manning the bar. Hence why more often than not I was stuck back here instead of out on the floor, and I could tell Sam felt guilty about always placing me here so he helped out when he could.

"That's good to hear, though Arlene doesn't seem to be having as easy a time. Had to talk to those men at table number five three times already." Sam frowned as he nodded towards the group of men I had noticed giving Arlene trouble before.

"Yeah, she's not happy right now so I'd avoid her as best possible." I smirked, knowing Sam would be in for a lecture on how he ought to do more about his patrons, and Sam chuckled.

"Noted." He murmured as he took some of the glasses that I had finished washing and began to dry and stack them back up. After a few moments of silence I noticed him looking out over the floor to a very familiar blonde, and I couldn't help shaking my head slightly. He had a concerned look on his face as Sookie had a look of concentration bordering on pain on her own. Sam had it bad for the woman, but I knew for a fact that Sookie wasn't interested, at least, not to the same extent as poor Sam.

"As your friend, Sam, I'm going to tell you something." I murmured to him as he jumped out of the daze he was in after watching Sookie walk out of sight. He sent me a questioning look as I sent him one of sympathy back. "You're barking up the wrong tree." Sam snorted hearing me, his mouth curving up into a slight smirk as he did.

"Sweetheart, you've no idea." Was all he muttered before leaving me at the bar for a moment as he went and did his rounds of the restaurant once more. I watched him go curiously, wondering what on earth he might've meant by that, before shrugging my shoulders to myself and taking more orders from men and women alike that began to line up once more at the bar.

The phone rang suddenly, and I politely excused myself to answer it as I quickly picked it up off of the wall, waving to Sookie as she stopped at the bar and offered me a small smile. "Hello, this is Merlotte's."

" _Hey, Lexie, is Sookie there? I quit my fucking job._ " Tara's brash voice came over the phone as I winced slightly, and Sookie moved behind the bar with me, a look of concern over her features.

"Oh Tara, honey, what happened?" I sighed softly as I moved the phone between Sookie and I. "Sookie is here too." I added as Sookie frowned deeply.

"Tara, what on earth is going on? This better be an emergency." Sookie sighed, and I knew she had a point. After all, neither she nor I were meant to be taking personal calls at the bar.

"What's going on here?" Sam's voice washed over the both of us as he walked in behind the bar as well, and Sookie gave him an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry, Sam. It's Tara, and she _knows better than to call me at work_." Sookie's voice emphasized the last part into the phone towards Tara as I heard her scoff in return.

"Don't worry about it, at least you girls don't abuse telephone privileges like Arlene does."

"Hey! I heard that." Arlene snapped on the way by as I couldn't stop a giggle, Arlene and I sharing a wink.

"Well I wish you _would_ hear that!"

"Please, Sam, I have kids!" Arlene replied easily, and all of us knew that it was just an excuse. Most of the times it wasn't her kids calling anyways, it was Réne.

"I just quit my job." Tara spoke up then to Sookie, sounding irritated as Sookie rolled her eyes at me and I rolled mine back.

"Again?" Sookie asked in disbelief as I held back a snort of laughter.

"Well shit, if you're going to be like that I'd rather just talk to Lexie." Tara huffed indignantly. "I can't work for assholes." She explained as I couldn't stop a smirk from coming on my lips.

"You and me both, honey." I replied easily as I laughed when Sam lightly smacked my arm on the way by to grab a bottle of whiskey. Obviously he had heard. I flipped him off and he just winked back at me before returning to tending the bar.

"Well I'm glad that you can afford to be so picky, Miss. Say-Hello-To-The-Rest-Of-Us." Sookie replied lightly with a small smile on her face. No matter how brash and immature that Tara could be, we couldn't help but still love her at the end of the day.

"Shut up," Tara replied bitingly as I heard her opening the door to her car, "Sam is not an asshole and he is totally in love with you Sookie." I smirked hearing Tara as Sookie suddenly looked extremely nervous, her gaze darting around to make sure Sam wasn't in hearing distance now.

"Tara, she's blushing!" I squealed lightly into the phone and Sookie gave me a look.

"Alex, you're not helping. Tara, he's _my boss_." Sookie hissed into the phone, her blush still staining her cheeks.

"Jesus, look, Lexie and I agree that you need to lighten up."

"No, keep me out of this!" I exclaimed into the phone as I smiled widely, holding back my laughter seeing the expression still on Sookie's face.

"You know I hate it when you use the J word." Sookie sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose lightly. "Now I gotta go."

"I do too, Tara." I spoke up as I noticed that Sam looked like he was getting nearly overrun with orders to fill, and I felt a little bad, even though he had basically given Sookie and I the okay for the phone.

"I'm coming over. I need a margarita. A _big_ one."

"I'll have it ready for you when you get here."

"Lexie, did I tell you that you're my new favorite person?"

"Should I add a pint of cookie dough ice cream to that margarita?"

"Now you're just being an overachiever." Sookie broke in with a playfully disgusted look and I shrugged innocently.

"Don't hate the player, hate the game." I grinned as I winked at her and she laughed, grinning brightly. It was good to see her smiling, knowing how much stress she put herself under coming into work on nights like tonight.

"See ya soon."

"Bye." I hung up then, before looking to Sam as he walked over.

"Alexandria, could you help pick up a few tables for an hour or so till the restaurant part slows down a bit? We're falling a little behind." Sam asked as I nodded with an easy smile.

"Sure thing." I replied, laughing as Dawn flung herself around me once more in a hug. For some reason to Dawn I was the most huggable human being on the earth. She let me go though and straightened up as she looked towards the door, and I looked as well, groaning seeing who it was. And where they were about to sit.

"Mack and Denise are just about to sit down in your section." Dawn sighed to Sookie as Sookie groaned, looking tired already.

"Sookie, let me get them this time?" I asked her as she gave me a small smile and shook her head.

"No, I've got this. Besides, I'm not letting Mack anywhere near you after what that asshole said to you last time." Sookie murmured as she frowned deeply and placed her hand on my shoulder to gently squeeze it. I flushed a bit in embarrassment, remembering the humiliating experience. Mack was one of those men that would take the opportunity to rag on my looks, and did so with a certain amount of glee and help from his bitch Denise. Basically they had made a fit about the food, before starting in on the service they were getting. I remember seeing Mack's greedy, perverted gaze looking around me at Sookie, Dawn, or Arlene the entire time, and finally he demanded that one of them serve him and Denise instead. Apparently my 'services' just weren't as inviting as the others.

"I should banned them from here, it would save everyone the trouble." Sam murmured as he frowned deeply.

"Sam, don't. They're not worth it, remember?" Dawn replied as she frowned hearing him, before looking towards Sookie as Sam nodded, sighing heavily.

"Well, you just remember that, don't let them get to you, chére." Sam spoke up as he looked over towards Sookie. "They're not worth it." He sighed, before going back to filling more orders as I glanced back to Sookie and offered an encouraging smile. She put on an extremely fake smile, or at least I could tell it was fake, before moving over towards Mack and Denise's table.

"You know what Mack said about you isn't true, right?" Dawn spoke up from beside me as silence settled between us for a moment. I started out of my thoughts and looked to her with confusion.

"Huh?" I asked _oh so_ intelligently. Dawn rolled her eyes, before reaching out and letting her hand lay over my own as she squeezed it gently.

"You're _not_ ugly, sugar. Men like him can't appreciate curves and fullness, and they aren't worth your time or hurt feelings." Dawn murmured as she smiled softly and I flushed at how easily I could be read. I really did hate sounding like I was some sort of pathetic girl who needed all this extra reassurance about her looks, but some nights I suppose it couldn't be helped. I acknowledge that I have low self-esteem, but at least I knew it wasn't totally undeserved. Dawn was right though, I wasn't _ugly_ , I was just someone who was different and appeared to be easily picked on.

"Thanks, Dawn, I really do appreciate that." I murmured back softly as I squeezed her hand gently in return, offering her a small smile. "Well," I sighed softly as her hand left my own and I moved out from behind the bar. "Might as well get started, do you have orders you need help with?"

"Always could use some help, let's go and see how Lafayette is doing." Dawn grinned as I smiled and we linked arms, heading on back. There was a single plate sitting on the ledge, and Dawn quickly picked it up.

"I've got this one." She winked at me and I nodded, before leaning against the ledge now as I watched Lafayette cooking.

"Hey, bitch." I grinned as he turned quickly hearing me and he grinned in return, shaking his head.

"Hey there, skank." He replied easily as I look mock offended, and he waved me off with a chuckle. "You're losing more weight again, aren't you?" He asked lightly as he looked me over, or however much he could with me standing there covered mostly by the dividing wall.

"Well, not exactly." I shrugged as I played with some ripped paper on the slick surface, dragging it around with my finger. I knew how he felt about me trying to lose more weight, and he didn't approve. So, whenever he saw me, he would always make comments about me getting too thin (which in reality, not being self pitying here, was totally _not_ the case).

"And what does 'not exactly', mean?" He asked as he came over to the ledge and leaned against it with me, quirking his an eyebrow at me as he did. I smiled guiltily as he looked down at me, ducking my head some as I did.

"It's just five pounds."

"Five pounds?!" Lafayette exclaimed as he stood up straight, looking down at me with displeasure. "Five fucking pounds? Girl, you don't need to _lose_ five pounds!" He huffed as he turned around towards the deep fryer. "Honey, I've got some onion rings with your name on them that you _will_ eat, or mama bear here is going to spank you."

"Lafayette…." I groaned in embarrassment, my blushing face falling down onto my arms on the ledge. "Please don't do this? You know how much I love onion rings."

"Mhm, onion rings with mustard and ketchup coming right up, honey." He replied easily as he shook the basket around in the deep fryer and I sighed, lifting my head and running my fingers through my brown waves.

"You're the best, Lafayette." I smiled widely as he popped his hip out in a saucy fashion.

"Don't I know it, girl." He replied easily before looking behind me as both his eyebrows rose.

"Ohhh, Sookie," He cooed as he stood back from the fryer for a moment. "Bow-Chika-Chika-Bow-Wow." He crowed out as he moved and dipped his hips in a sexy fashion. I couldn't help giggling as Sookie stood up next to me now, her eyes looking a little bewildered.

"Onion rings, and if you drop a few on the floor I wouldn't mind in the slightest." Sookie replied, her voice sounding a bit unsure now as she gazed between Lafayette and me. "What on earth is going on here?"

"Don't ask me. Looks like Denise took away my order of onion rings though." I pouted as Lafayette walked up to the both of us.

"You look like a porn star with that tan." Lafayette stated as he leaned against the ledge opposite of us. Sookie, meanwhile, still looked a little bewildered although this was normal kind of conversation and the type of compliments that Lafayette was known to give. "And look at that pink lipstick. You got a date?" He asked as I grinned, hiding it behind my hand though.

"No…" Sookie began, still looking a little unsure. "When I wear make-up I get bigger tips."

"And that, my friends, is the ugly truth." I muttered as I sighed some, propping my elbow on the flat surface and resting my chin in my hand. Everything was about looks.

Lafayette laughed hearing us both as he turned back to the food. "Yes, girls, that's just it, isn't it? Rednecks are suckers for packaging." He gave us both a saucy smirk as Sookie rolled her eyes.

"And I get even bigger tips for acting like I don't have a brain in my head. But if I don't they're all scared of me." Her tone ended in a depressing note as I looked over to her, lightly bumping my hip against her own.

"Just remember, they can't handle the truth." I commented in a deep voice, and Sookie broke into at least a small smile, shaking her head slightly as she did.

"They ain't scared of you, honey child, they're scared of what's between your legs." Lafayette hummed, as I couldn't stop from bursting into laughter, especially after seeing the absolutely disgusted look on Sookie's face.

"Lafayette, that is nasty talk, and I won't listen to it!" Sookie exclaimed, clearly offended, and meanwhile Arlene had snuck up to put another order up.

"Do you even _know_ what is between a woman's legs, Lafayette?" Arlene giggled, clearly amused with this conversation.

"I know that any man, gay, straight, or even George motherfucking Bush, is terrified of the _puss_." Lafayette dipped slightly with his words, making a rather risqué gesture between his legs as Arlene and I laughed and Sookie once again looked absolutely disgusted.

"Lafayette!" She exclaimed with clear indignation in her voice, and disbelief that he was taking things this far at work of all places.

"What _are_ we talking about" Dawn asked as she walked up with her orders as well, and Arlene spoke up.

"Listen, Lafayette, not everybody is gay, okay? Not everybody wants to have sex with you."

"Oh, you'd be surprised Arlene, the people _you_ know." Lafayette replied with a mysterious voice and Arlene scoffed playfully as she watched him. "That's all I'm saying."

"Well, I don't want to have sex with you." Dawn replied easily as she stood there, obviously enjoying this conversation. Sookie was still looking rather uncomfortable, and to be honest I was feeling rather uncomfortable as well, I was just better at hiding it.

"Me neither." Arlene spoke up as Lafayette grabbed onto the table and began to buck into it.

""Shit. Y'all bitches don't know what you're missin'. I got six gears on these hips." He replied easily as Dawn started to make moaning noises to go in time with his thrusts.

"Uh. No, baby. You don't know what you're missing. You can watch her walk away." Dawn replied as she turned away, strutting from the kitchen. "Make you wanna slap it?" I laughed loudly as she actually slapped her own ass whilst walking away. "Huh, you wanna slap it?"

"Everybody knows it. Everybody been there. Ain't that right? John's been there." Lafayette replied playfully as my mouth fell open in shock.

"Lafayette! Are you calling dear, sweet, innocent Dawn a _slut_?" I gasped in mock shock as Dawn turned around and winked at us all and slapped her ass once more.

"I'm slappin' it. Take these, baby. _Peaches and cream_." Arlene showcased her breasts, with her shirts still on thank heavens, as she moved away, a big grin on her face.

"I'll give you a little cocoa. Little cocoa. Ain't that right, John? Shit." Lafayette, not to be outdone, ended. I laughed loudly, shaking my head before grabbing the next order up and taking it out to the table.

That was one thing about working at Merlottes; it was never boring.

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"My life sucks." Tara murmured bleakly as I smiled sadly at her from across the bar top, leaning against it now. Merlotte's had slowed down a bit and I was back to serving drinks again for the time being, and had managed to get back in time to catch Tara as she walked in. I had handed her, her margarita in silence, and simply stood there with her, unless an order needed to be filled. This was the first time she had broken her silence since she had gotten there.

"Sweetheart, come on now. I know it's been rough for you, but-"

"Tara, quit feeling sorry for yourself, that's just lazy." Sookie replied in a rather cutthroat manner as I sighed heavily, slumping my shoulders. Sometimes I wondered if Sookie realized that some of the stuff Tara seemed to be overdramatic about really mattered to her.

"Why can't I keep a job?" Tara asked in annoyance as Sookie lifted an eyebrow at her.

"Maybe cause you can't keep your mouth shut."

"Bitch, who asked you?" Tara snapped, but her lips curved into a smile and she winked as the three of us shared a soft laugh, shaking out heads.

"How you doin', Sookie?" Sam asked as he walked over to the three of us, setting down a glass of beer on the countertop.

"I've had better nights." She replied lightly, obviously in a better mood now, and I was happy to see it. I shared a look with Tara though as Sam leaned on the countertop across from Sookie, an easy, almost flirtatious grin on his face.

"Anything I can do to improve this one for you?" He asked with a boyish grin on his face as he did. He suddenly looked uncomfortable as Sookie gave him an equally uncomfortable look. Sookie looked speechless and Sam looked plain embarrassed, but suddenly Sookie's face relaxed almost as she turned slowly towards the door. I frowned, looking the way that she was before my heart nearly stopped seeing who…or should I say _what_ , walked through the door.

"Oh my god!" Sookie gushed as she turned around to us, looking extremely bright as she did. "I think Merlotte's just got its first vampire!"

"I think you're right." Sam replied, looking uncomfortable still, but almost _angry_ , if I was looking at him correctly. Tara and I exchanged an unsettling look, both of us obviously concerned for Sookie's enthusiasm about this.

"Can you believe it? Right here in Bon Temps?" Sookie scrambled for her pad and pen as she had this glow of excitement about her that I hadn't seen in a very, very long time. "I've been waiting for this to happen ever since they came out of the coffin two years ago." She walked over there, a certain bounce in her step as both Tara and I looked to Sam, uneasy about all this. I mean, after all, we were dealing with _vampires_ , here, bloodthirsty vampires from our nightmares as kids. I personally didn't see how Sookie could be _excited_ about this. Ever since I had heard about them coming out of the coffin I had been, and still am, terrified of the dark and being caught outside at night. Hell, I couldn't even let myself go to sleep for the first few days after the news had come out!

Sookie walked back over after a few moments and ordered a red wine, which I got, but gave her a questioning look. She explained that he wanted a reason to stay, and since we had no True Blood, he'd take a glass of red wine. Was he trying to _flirt_ with Sookie? I mean, I was all for Sookie having some romance in her life, but I never would've picked a vampire as being the first after a fairly long dry spell. I wisely kept my mouth shut about my concerns for her regarding this matter and poured the red wine, handing it to her after I did.

"What a bitch." Sookie muttered as she stood next to Tara having already delivered the red wine to this vampire character. "You really think she'll let him bite her?" She asked in a more hushed voice as I sighed heavily.

"Sookie, sweetie, unfortunately Denise is the whore of both the living and the dead, she'll let anyone do anything to her." I muttered disdainfully and Tara snorted down her laughter as Sookie sent me a sharp look.

"You shouldn't speak of vampires like that." She murmured. "They were human once too."

 _And should've died as humans die, not lived on for eternity like some freak of nature_. I thought to myself, only nodding in apology to Sookie, realizing I had offended her.

"Do you know how many people are having sex with vampires these days?" Tara asked with disgust clear in her voice as she leaned back against the bar top. "Sometimes those people disappear." THANK YOU TARA! I shouted to myself as I heard her, hoping it would knock some sense into Sookie. What she said was true; those who got deeply involved with vampires were often never seen or heard from again.

"No," Sookie replied with a firm assurance as she stood there, her hand on her hip and continuing to watch Mack and Denise as Denise rubbed herself up against the clearly uncomfortable vampire. Well, at least even if he was a vampire he seemed to have some sort of good taste in woman. "He's not like that."

"Yeah, you can tell that after blundering your way through taking his order?" I asked skeptically, before raising my hands quickly when she glared at me. "I'm just saying…" I trailed off uneasily now, not really wanting to be in direct way of the blonde's warpath. She definitely got her fiery attitude from her Gran, God love that old woman.

"Lexie is right, you talked to him for a minute, and you've no idea how many people he's sucked dry in however many centuries that he has been alive." Tara replied bitingly as she was obviously not afraid of Sookie's wrath like I was.

"He just doesn't look..scary." Sookie tried to defend as all three of us, Sam included, rolled our eyes and gazed at Sookie with concern.

"Sweet Jesus in Heaven Sookie, he is a _vampire._ " Tara replied back quickly as she looked at the girl with an exasperated face.

"Yeah, but the synthetic blood has everything-" Sam obviously felt the need to step in finally. Maybe _he_ could talk some sense into her.

"Are you willing to pass up all your favorite foods and spend the rest of your life drinking slim-fast?" He asked with a quirked eyebrow and I resisted the strong urge to hold up my hand to high-five him for his _very_ valid point.

Sookie, obviously giving up on trying to persuade us over to her side, instead moved back to the table, obviously trying to attempt to help this vampire out of Denises' own vampire like clutches. I watched in concern though as she so suddenly ran from the table and out back, Tara having left a few moments ago back there to go to the bathroom.

"What on earth is she doing now?" Sam sighed heavily as I gave him a sympathetic look.

"If it helps any, I would much rather Sookie date you." I replied and Sam chuckled a bit, shaking his head slightly.

"Surprisingly that doesn't help, but thank you. I just hope we can get her to see reason and stay away from that…" Sam shook his head as he sighed heavily, running his fingers through his hair as he did. I jumped as Sookie ran around back by the bar, dragging a clearly confused and resistant Tara with her.

"We have to stop them!" Sookie exclaimed as I frowned deeply.

"No we do not! We do not have to get anywhere near that vampire." Tara replied easily as I frowned more, moving with Sam towards the two girls.

"Hey, what's going on? Stop who?" I asked gently as I moved up, frowning even more seeing the frantic look on Sookie's face.

"They're going to drain him for his blood." Sookie hissed quietly at me as my mouth fell open in shock. Sure, I knew that they couple were into some nasty shit, but this just took the cake.

" _Drain him_? Like, drain his blood?" I asked in disgust as Sookie nodded quickly, glaring at Tara a bit though as she did.

"And I must say that I am disappointed in you, Tara, you and your small mindedness." Sookie hissed out before Sam stepped in to try and obviously do his best at preventing a scene.

"The vampire can take care of himself, I promise you." Sam told Sookie firmly as he frowned all the more whilst watching on.

Sookie turned sharply towards where the vampire had been before, and I noticed now as well that the bench seat was empty. What a dumb ass; if he left with those two he _deserved_ to get drained.

"SHIT!" Sookie exclaimed as she ripped off her apron, throwing it to the ground and rushing for the door.

I groaned loudly, knowing that my role as one of her best friends would be to follow her out there, despite _my own better judgment_.

"I swear if I don't die tonight, Sook, I am going to fucking throttle some sense into you once this is over." I muttered darkly as I threw my apron off as well and ran after her outside. I took in a deep breath of the fresh air as I jogged up to where Sookie was currently stopped, surveying the area. I knew what she was doing; trying to pick up on Mack and Denise's thoughts to try and figure out their whereabouts. Silently I walked up beside her, narrowing my eyes to try and see into the darkness, my heart hammering in my chest as I did. No, I wasn't scared for that stupid vampire, I was scared for _us_. I mean, didn't this seem the least bit fishy to Sookie at all? This was a vampire, for Christ's sake, he could take on a couple humans, couldn't he? Especially ones as dumb as Mack and Denise.

Sookie suddenly took off and I followed her, running past the open bed of a truck and grabbing her wrist, getting her attention. I pointed to the chains there, and she nodded silently, and we both, as quietly as possible, pick up a set. We walked around the bend, and underneath a huge tree we finally saw them. Mack was standing there and pacing, whilst Denise stooped over the prone form of the vampire as he laid pinned to the ground by silver. For a single second I felt a little bit of pity for him, but it didn't last long. Even more now I felt like this was suspicious, that this shouldn't have happened. How could a vampire not defend himself against two weak humans?

"Hurry!" Mack complained as he paced around, his hands running over his head in a nervous tick.

"We should have taken him home." Denise hissed back as she worked furiously at switching from one quickly filling blood bag to the next empty one. The sight made me sick, knowing that humans would willingly feed upon a vampire's blood, no matter the pleasant side affects I had heard rumored. It was disgusting.

"Too dangerous. Where would we hide a dead vampire in our trailer?" Mack asked as I held back a sarcastic snort hearing him. Where they hid the rest of their trash obviously.

"Well at least we wouldn't be out in the _fucking_ open like this." Denise replied bitingly, obviously nervous at being caught as well. My hands tightened on the chains as I looked to Sookie and she nodded for me to stay steady, before we both looked back to the sick scene before us.

"I just need some V-juice, I need it bad. My body is starting to hurt now, I just need to get it _in me_." Mack ranted on like the true drug addict he was as I shook my head listening to them.

"God dammit, Mack. You're a fucking drug addict, you know that?" Denise quipped as I really had to hold back my laughter hearing her.

No _freakin'_ duh.

Mack continued to pace, the both of them still oblivious to Sookie's and mine's presence, but the vampire took notice as I saw him look at both of us. I clenched up, seeing his fangs glinting in the light, and everything in my body was telling me to run for the hills and never look back. Unfortunately, Sookie had other ideas, as did my conscious about leaving her alone with them.

"Woman would you just _shut the fuck up_." Mack gripped as he stopped pacing for a moment. "Sometimes when you talk, this is what I hear. _A yiddy yiddy yiddy a-_ Sookie threw her chains directly into Mack's shoulder whilst I went for Denise, throwing mine with all my might at her and catching her at the shoulders, the chains plowing her into the ground with a pained scream.

"You crazy bitches!" Mack shouted through his pain as he quickly got off of the ground and turned towards the both of us. Meanwhile, whilst Sookie had her chains, I had nothing as I had stupid thrown my only defense away. I watched wide-eyed as Mack drew a knife, and I breathed heavily, stumbling back with Sookie. As he came at us Sookie threw her chains, catching Mack right around the neck.

"You go cowgirl." I muttered as Mack began to choke, obviously finding it difficult if not impossible to breath as he fell to his knees. Denise, meanwhile, had recovered and went rushing for the knife that Mack had let go off. I reacted faster than I ever thought possible for me and dove for the knife, standing and holding it right at her and motioning for Sookie to get behind me. My arm shook slightly, as I was clearly unsure of myself whilst I held this woman at knifepoint, Sookie's hand gripping my shirt from behind me as I did.

"This ain't your businesses you stupid cunts." Denise stated as she shook her head, her body tense and my own grew tense as well.

"Now see, that just proves how low-rent you really are." Sookie replied with a sure voice from behind me as she glared at the woman over my shoulder.

Yeah, sure Sookie, you can be brave when I'm standing between you and this crazy bitch.

"Just get your pathetic excuse for a husband and take his and your fake ass outta here, bitch." I murmured, my voice coming out far braver than I felt at that moment.

"You have any idea who you're messing with you ugly piece of shit." Denise replied in a deadly serious voice as my gaze hardened at her insults this time. Oh no she didn't.

"Yeah, I'm dealing with a real-life Barbie. Thing is, is I hated Barbies growing up. In fact, I used to just _love_ pulling apart their fake body parts. Would you like me to continue practicing that right here and now?" I asked evenly as I glared back at her, my legs feeling like they were about to give out on me. Mack was still choking in the background as the woman dared to take a closer step towards us.

"You don't want to end up on my bad side." She hissed out in advisement as Sookie snorted a bit behind me.

"I'm not so sure you even have another side you no count back-woods trash." Sookie hissed out to her as the woman's face hardened even further.

"Look Sookie, I think we've slapped the bull enough times." I murmured lightly, starting to get a little nervous with this whole standoffish thing going on between us three. Especially since I was the one holding the knife. Sookie reached around quickly, grabbing the knife from me once Denise had moved and following her with it as she moved back over to Bill to obviously grab the blood.

"Ah, ah, ah, don't even _think_ of taking that blood." Sookie told her as I frowned deeply, watching the furious look in Denise's eyes. There was something rather unsettling about that look.

"I will kill you for this." Denise snarled as she stalked back over towards Sookie now, looking between the both of us as she spoke.

"Get out." Sookie spat at her as Denise stood behind Mack, who was still trying desperately to breath. " _Now_."

"Come on, Mack." Denise hissed as she walked over to grab her bag, before walking back to Mack and grabbing his shoulder, heaving him up onto his feet with surprising strength. "This ain't over." She snarled to the both of us in a threat as I felt the color rush from my face for the first time (surprisingly) during this whole encounter. I didn't take well to threats.

Mack stumbled and fell continuously as Denise impatiently hurried them along, before giving up on Mack as he fell uselessly to the dirt and running out of the clearing, Mack trailing severely behind.

Sookie rushed forward towards the vampire now as I wrinkled my nose in disgust seeing her pulling the silver from his skin, his skin bubbling and steaming as she did. The vampire was huffing in pain and I watched as she slowly removed the final string of silver, stiffening up now knowing the vampire was essentially free.

"Sookie, we should probably head back inside." I spoke up, my voice shaking a bit with my nervousness. It was truly my nightmare come to life; stuck in the dark with a vampire. Granted, he looked absolutely exhausted, but I still couldn't stop the images of being bitten and drained from rushing through my mind. When his fangs retracted, though, I felt slightly more at ease.

"Shut up." Sookie whispered in amazement as his skin began to heal on its own, and I couldn't help rolling my eyes, clearly she hadn't heard me or chose to ignore me.

"Sook!"

"You've no reason to fear me." The vampire spoke up as he glanced from Sookie towards myself now, trying to obviously come off as friend. Sorry, I hate to disappoint him, but I've never heard of a Friendly Vampire. That title is reserved for Casper.

And I swear if I ever found out ghosts were real too I would shit bricks.

"Yeah, I'll take that into consideration at some point." I replied nervously, trying not to sound snotty as I did.

"Alex!"

"It's alright." The vampire offered a dry smirk after hearing me. "I'd think her rather strange if she _didn't_ fear me at first at least."

"So I'm strange then?" Sookie asked lightly, under her breath as if talking to herself.

"Yeah, that's what I've been trying to tell you since we were kids, Sook." I muttered as the vampire chuckled lightly, looking between the both of us. He opened his mouth, about to speak once again but the sound of a car could be heard. I gasped as Denise, the crazy bitch, came at us with her shit box of a car. Sookie grabbed onto the vampire, whilst I dove out of the way.

"I'm going to get you bitches!" She shouted from her car. Now, now I was seeing red. I reached around, grabbing the discarded chains and whipping them at the rear of the car, shouting in elation at the sound of the chains smashing the rearview window open.

"TAKE THAT YOU CRAZY BITCH!" I shouted at her retreating car, hearing her screams of anger as she rushed away. I brushed my hands off then, before frowning and turning back towards Sookie and the vampire, wanting to make sure that Sookie was alright.

"Oh, bless your heart," I had to bite back a smart ass remark of _what heart?_ , as I approached the couple and heard Sookie. "I'm _so sorry_ I didn't get here faster." Sookie apologized and I had to refrain from rolling my eyes. "You'll be okay in a minute, right?" She asked as the vampire looked clearly stunned now, glancing between the both of us. Dear lord I hope he wasn't hashing out which one of us would be a better snack. I suddenly had the desire to state that even though I was big, it didn't mean I tasted good, but held back as I kept my distance. Crazy Sookie, though, was nearly right up in his goddamn face!

"Do you want me to leave?" Sookie asked then, looking extremely unsure, but I was happy with this turnabout.

"Oh, yeah, because by all means we will leave you be to do…whatever it is…you do." I spoke up rather lamely, but desperately wanted to take Sookie and leave at this point. We'd saved the vampire, that's all we set out to do, what more could be done?!

"No," Mr. Vampire answered gruffly and I felt my hopes deflate immeasurably. He looked between the both of us, clearly indicating he wished us both to stay. "They might come back and I can't fight yet." Oh, so now he's going to get two weak girls to fight _all_ his battles?

Sookie looked a little downtrodden for a moment, and I realized then that she was hoping he wanted her to stay for _her_ , not for his own selfish safety. Balls, she was getting caught up in a forbidden romance scenario. We both needed boyfriends… _human_ boyfriends, and pronto.

Suddenly barking could be heard as a dog came rushing up to us, brown and white in coloring with long fur. "Awwwww," I cooed as I walked over to him, reaching out and scratching behind its ears gently. "Hey there buddy, where did you come from?" I cooed to him, frowning though as I watched him continue to bark at the vampire, who looked awfully nervous. The dog turned to Sookie, licking at her face as Sookie giggled and I pouted. What? Not even dogs wanted to give me kisses now? I rolled my eyes, watching him go away then before leaning back and sitting on the ground, pulling my knees to my chest and holding them there. Maybe if I curled into a ball I'd appear to be a smaller morsel?

"He's checking on you." Mr. Vampire spoke up as he sat up a bit straighter now, clearly speaking to Sookie at the moment as I watched the old stray rushing away back towards Merlotte's. I wouldn't doubt that Sam snuck the poor thing food every once in a while.

"It's just an old dog that hangs around the bar sometimes." Sookie replied easily as she knelt closer to the vampire. "He must live nearby." The vampire seemed to scoff at this, lifting an eyebrow.

"Well, no doubt." He replied and I couldn't help hearing the sarcasm in his voice. Wonder what that was all about? Sookie stood, about to offer him a hand with the belt around his arm, but he ripped his arm away from her, and I tensed up. The sudden movement startled me, and the vampire looked towards me for a moment as if sensing so, before looking back up to Sookie.

"I reckon you're not to happy about being rescued by women." Sookie replied as she placed her hands on her hips, looking down at him with a raised eyebrow. Why, oh why, did she have to show that attractive southern sass now of all times?!

"Thank you," He replied, seemingly chastised as he glanced towards me. "The both of you." I swallowed heavily and nodded in return, before resting my chin back on my knees as he moved to undo the belt around his arm, his attention shifting back to Sookie. I watched Sookie close her eyes for a moment, obviously concentrating once again and watched her curiously, wondering _why_ she was concentrating so hard all of a sudden.

"I can't hear you!" Sookie suddenly exclaimed as her eyes snapped open to look down at this vampire, and I nearly smacked her myself. What the hell did she think she was doing?!

" _Thank you_." Mr. Vampire replied again a bit louder this time, obviously a little irked still as he roughly undid the belt around his arm.

"No! I can _hear_ you!" Sookie exclaimed as she knelt down in front of him, her hands reaching out and clasping around his face as she leaned in close. "But I can't…." She trailed off as if finally realizing what she was doing, and I nearly smacked my palm against my forehead. So _now_ she clicks in, and by the curious look the vampire was giving her, I doubted he'd let it go. " _Oh my stars…_ " She trailed off and I had the very sudden urge to reach for her ponytail and yank her back by it.

"Sookie, you might want to observe the personal space bubble; remember we talked about it?" I spoke up sardonically, but both of them ignored me. I rolled my eyes, asking myself why I was even still here, but already knowing the answer. Making sure Sookie didn't get herself killed.

"Aren't you afraid to be out here alone with a hungry vampire?" The guy spoke up with a quirked eyebrow and a smirk and I nearly raised my arms into the air and shouted out AMEN. _Finally_ someone was showing some sense, even if it _was_ said hungry vampire.

"Exactly. Sookie, we really should be getting back to the bar. Sam will be wondering where we are." I spoke up, and the vampire looked at me with amusement, probably able to easily tell how nervous I was to be out here.

"Your friend is right, and smart." He commented before looking back to Sookie, who still looked awestruck and in her own little world. See, this is why you didn't make blonde friends; they ended up putting you in life or death situations due to their fucking curiosity.

"No." Sookie answered easily and I sighed, burying my face into my knees now.

"Vampires often turn on those who trust them, you know. We don't have human values like you." He added lowly, and I turned my head back up, watching as they both stared at each other intensely. Had I known better I would have thought I interrupted the lead-up to a _very_ steamy sex scene; luckily even if that had been the case I wasn't about to let my friend go through with it. That's right, awkward turtle is here to stay!

So I'll just sit here quietly…and continue to be awkward…quietly.

"A lot of humans turn on those who trust them too." Sookie replied as she thankfully broke away from the leaning vampire, stepping back and moving to sit back on the stump of an old tree, crossing her legs daintily and wrapping one of the silver chains around her neck. "I'm not a total fool." She added, gesturing towards the silver chain.

"Hey, where's mine?" I whined at her as she looked to me and simply shrugged her shoulders. Wow, some friend.

"Oh, but you have many other juicy arteries." Oookkaaayyyy, creepy vampire was coming out to play now. I shifted back further as he shifted forward, though his attention was completely on Sookie at this point. Suddenly I felt extremely self-conscious for a moment. Of course his entire attention would be on _her_ , I thought jealously, she is beautiful after all. I quickly shook myself, realizing that I was getting jealous of my best friend, and not only that, but jealous cause a vampire was paying her more attention that he was me.

Dude, I _really_ needed to find myself a human boyfriend.

"There is one in the groin that is a particular favorite of mine." He added as he obviously leered at her, his eyes drifting down to her delicate and long legs.

"Hey, you just shut your nasty mouth, mister!" Sookie replied haughtily, but I could tell, I could tell she _actually liked_ his nasty mouth right now. Dear lord, Sookie, _really_?! "You may be a vampire, but when you talk to me you will talk to me like the lady I am!" I couldn't help snorting some hearing her, and she sent me a slight glare to which I raised both my hands up in mock surrender.

Sure, she was a lady; a lady who swore like a sailor when the mood caught her, rescued men instead of being rescued by them, and willingly got in the face of a stranger within seconds of knowing them.

Sookie, you are a _real_ lady.

The vampire snorted a bit in amusement, clearly impressed with her fire though as he leaned back against the tree, glancing towards the bags filled with blood. "You want to drink the blood they collected?"

"Ew!"

"No!" Came Sookie's responses and mine collectively and the vampire looked at me with amusement at my more childish exclamation.

"I understand it makes humans feel more healthy." He explained as he looked to me, before turning his attention back to Sookie once more. "Improves their sex life." He added in a lower tone, his eyebrow quirking once more as he looked at Sookie directly.

"I'm as healthy as a horse, and I have no sex life to speak of so..." Sookie admitted without shame as I rolled my eyes hearing her. Way to make yourself sound MORE appealing. The pretty virgin, ripe for the taking! I could see the look of renewed interest on the man's face; it was obviously _exactly_ what he was thinking. "You can just keep it…" She trailed off awkwardly now, and I smirked some seeing her come to the realization of what she had blabbed and the intense look that Mr. Vampire was giving her now. She looked clearly uncomfortable, and I took some sadistic glee in that fact.

"You could both always sell it." He offered now as he looked between the both of us, and I furrowed my eyebrows some in confusion.

"Are you actively trying to jump start my career in selling drugs?" I asked dryly as he smirked a bit and chuckled at my response.

"I wouldn't touch it." Sookie replied evenly as his attention was once again diverted back towards her, and I could see that her answer slightly shocked him. I watched as he suddenly moved forward with lightening fast reflexes and was in front of Sookie, kneeling in front of her. My heart stopped in fright as I tensed up, ready in case something happened, though I'd be a fool to think I had a hope in hell of stopping him. I stood quickly as I looked between the both of them, watching as Sookie even looked a little unsure, whilst he regarded her with an intensity that sent a shiver down my own spine.

"What are you?" He asked huskily as he gazed at her, and my breath caught in my throat. Yeah, he definitely hadn't let that whole 'I can hear you but can't' comment go. Don't tell him about your mind reading powers, Sookie. I repeated that over and over in my head, praying she was listening in just this once.

"Um, well," Sookie replied, her voice a little shaky, "I'm So-Sookie Stackhouse." She swallowed heavily. "And I'm a waitress." She took in a shaky breath. "And that's my friend, Lisa Hanson, also a waitress." She added, but the vampire didn't bother to even glance at me. I huffed a bit; how rude! "What's your name?"

"Bill." Oh. My. God. I bit down hard on my tongue as he said his name, in the huskiest voice I had heard from him yet. _Bill_? He's a vampire and his name is _Bill_? How pathetic would that be? To be killed and sucked dry by a vampire named _Bill_. Talk about a whole new level on an awful way to die. Sookie obviously found the same amusement as me as she started to giggle, unable to hold it back like myself.

" _Bill_?" She asked as she giggled a bit more. "I-I thought it might be Antoine or Basil or like, Lankford maybe," Bill scoffed at that one in amusement as he backed down onto his heels, obviously amused by our own amusement. "But _Bill_? Vampire _Bill_!" She continued to giggle and I noticed that despite it being his name we were making fun of, he seemed to be taking it in good humor.

"Why on earth would you go by _Bill_? And not _Will_ instead?" I asked lightly as I couldn't stop a small giggle, and he looked to me, a small smile spreading on his lips and shrugging his shoulders. Obviously he really had no answer to that.

"So…" Sookie spoke up once more after a few moments of silence. "Silver? I thought that only affected werewolves. I-I'm not saying that werewolves exist, but it's what you see in the movies." She scrambled to add at the sardonic look he was giving her.

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't share this information with anyone." Bill spoke up then as he glanced to the both of us. "We don't like for our weaknesses to be made public knowledge." Okay, that I could get, and I think I could comply with. But I tell you, if I'm caught in a dark alley with one of these fuckers, out comes the silver and I don't care WHO sees.

"Well, okay." Sookie murmured as I nodded in agreement and she stood along with him, the silver still around her neck as she did. "Well, see ya, Bill. I gotta get back to work." Sookie added, obviously now trying to play it cool as she sauntered around him, and I shook my head slightly. I offered a wave, just to be polite as he nodded and offered a smile in return, before I scampered to follow her, determined not to be left alone with him.

"Sookie!" Sam exclaimed as he saw us both emerge, and once again I was hit with a useless wave of jealousy. So my safety wasn't thought about? "Thank god." Sam sighed as we approached him, Sookie wrapping the silver up in her hand. "You okay?" He asked as he placed his hands on his hips, gazing at the both of us in concern now.

"We're fine." Sookie replied easily as I rolled my eyes. Speak for yourself. I suppose, though, that I was alright, though I'm sure I'd never wanna be caught in a situation like that ever again. "And for your information, not all vampires can take care of themselves." She added in a snarky tone, before walking around, clearly proud of herself, as she strutted back into Merlotte's. Sam, meanwhile, looked unsure as I stepped up, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Sorry, but I think Sookie's vampire is going to be hanging around here more often." I murmured quietly as I squeezed his shoulder gently and he sighed heavily, his shoulders dropping.

"Yeah, I kind of had a feeling after she went running after him." He murmured, his arm wrapping around my shoulders and tucking me into his side then. "Come on, sweetheart, let's get back inside and close up. It's been a long night."

"Yes it has." I sighed as I wrapped an arm around his waist, walking with him back into the safety of the bar. Tonight had been a long night, and I couldn't wait to just get home.

* * *

I sighed heavily as I walked into my dingy basement apartment, throwing my keys into the old glass bowl beside my door. I toed off my shoes, sighing in relief as I did, before moving on further to the kitchen and dropping my purse and coat as I went. My apartment was located underneath a decrepit house, but it was the best that I could afford, and I was proud to call it mine. I worked for it, and I earned it, and it was mine. I saw the red light flashing on my answer machine by the fridge and pressed on the button to hear them. No doubt it was my Mom calling to check up on me; she always worried about me, same as my Dad, and I hadn't called them this week like I normally did. When that happened they would always call me to check up on how I was doing.

 _Hi, sweetheart_ , My Mother's voice filled the room and I smiled at the familiar tone, missing it in that moment more than usual, _just wanted to make sure that you're still alive and not working too hard. Call us, okay? We miss you and love you!_ The message ended and I walked over to the fridge, letting out a heavy sigh. I really should go and visit them, but after they had moved from Bon Temps out to Shreveport it made visiting a little more difficult on my part. My SUV wasn't as reliable as it used to be, and it made me nervous doing longer trips like that to the next town over. Regardless I knew I'd have to make the trip sometime soon, and definitely give them a call tomorrow.

Not seeing anything worthwhile in the fridge I made my way instead to my bedroom, flopping down limply on my bed. I was beyond tired and emotionally taxed from tonight. I grabbed at my shirt, tossing it to one side of the room and wiggled out of my jeans, tossing them to the other side, before crawling under my covers, not even bothering to take my make up off.

And as I fell asleep, I reflected on how much my life changed tonight, not knowing how much it was going to continue to change in the months to come.

* * *

" _Arrested_ , for _what_?!"

Ah, _hell_ no, it was way too early in the evening to be starting up this type of shit for the second night in a row! How the hell Jason could get himself arrested was beyond me; I mean, the boy could be an idiot, but a criminal idiot he most definitely was not.

"I don't know." Dawn frowned as she gazed at Sookie with concern.

"Sook," I heard Lafayette's voice as he came up behind where I was standing, watching all this unfold before me, "sorry about your brother." This seemed to tick Sookie off even further.

"How come everybody knew about this before I did?"

"Well, _I_ didn't know. This is news to me." I spoke up as Sookie sent me a glare.

"Shut it, Alex, you don't even _like_ my brother. Why would you even _care_?" She replied as I pouted some. Though it was true, I never got along with Jason all that well as kids. He was one of the jocks in school that would constantly make fun of me, but it didn't stop at school, no, it continued on at the Sackhouse household whenever I'd come over to visit with Sookie. It had gotten a bit better since we were all out of high school, and after I had lost a lot of weight, but I still held a rather childish grudge against the man for being a shithead in the first place.

But to say I didn't _care_ what happened to Sookie's brother was a bit harsh. I _cared_ enough to want to be there to rub it in his pretty face when he screwed up. Like now for instance.

"Well I was there, baby girl, and I saw him getting carted away." Lafayette spoke up calmly, a solemn look on his face.

"And I was complaining to Arlene about Jason hanging up on me when we were making a date, and not calling me back, and that's when she told me-" Dawn was cut off as Sookie continued to look unimpressed.

" _Arlene?_ How does _she_ know?"

"Well, I guess Réne told her." Dawn replied as she fiddled nervously with her necklace whilst Sookie turned sharply, obviously on a man hunt now for Réne. Can't really blame Dawn for being on edge though, I'd be nervous too if I had to break the news to Sookie Stackhouse that her brother was in jail. "Besides, we figured you'd just…" Dawn trailed off awkwardly, as if thinking better about what she was about to say.

"Foot in mouth, Dawn…foot in mouth." I murmured quietly to her as she shot me a look before looking back sheepishly towards Sookie who now faced the three of us once more.

"That I'd just _what_ , Dawn?" Sookie asked, her voice sickly sweet, but daring Dawn to finish what she had obviously started.

"Sweetie, didn't ya just know already?" Dawn finally sputtered out as I held back my laughter seeing the rage on Sookie's face now as she stared Dawn down.

"I am _not psychic!_ " Sookie hissed at us before she turned sharply once more and strutted her way (with purpose of course) towards the dining room.

"Well, _that_ went well." I murmured as I looked to Dawn who sighed and shook her head a bit.

"Well…my thought process was at least somewhat valid!" Dawn sighed as she slapped her hands with exasperation against her thighs, looking towards me now.

"True enough, and Sookie's response was valid as well." I smirked at the unimpressed look Dawn gave me before she headed off in the direction of the dining room as well, but v-ing off in the opposite way that Sookie had gone.

She had the right idea; avoid Sookie at all costs tonight if we wanted to live.

"Girl, we need to find you clothes that actually fit." Lafayette hummed as he came up to me and circled me, as if appraising me. _Anyone else_ , I thought to myself ironically, _any other_ man, _and this would feel extremely awkward._

"These clothes fit just fine. I like them baggy. Besides, yes I know I've lost weight and I know I do look better. I know, really, I do, but I've still got things that need to be hidden, Lafayette." I joked lightly, poking at my smaller, but albeit still pronounced, stomach. Lafayette scoffed as he waved me off, shaking his head some.

"Honey, you get _lost_ in those clothes." He replied as he suddenly reached for the waistband of my jeans, pulling at them so they came out a good hands width away from my hip. "Hellllooooo, down there!" He cried as he looked downward into the gaping hole he had just created and I laughed, slapping his hand away with my face flushed from embarrassment.

"Lafayette!"

"Child, I think my voice echoed back to me. You could fit another person in there, and by your choice of underwear, I'd pray to God that it isn't your grandmother I find in there next." He muttered disdainfully as I flushed bright red, actually fairly well embarrassed now.

"Lafayette, _really_!" I squeaked as I mentally made sure that the next night at work I'd wear a belt. "Not to sound like the working poor here, but I can't afford different clothes right now, and Victoria Secrets isn't exactly in my price range either." I huffed as I crossed my arms indignantly.

"Don't give me that bull-shit. You don't have pretty underwear because you're too scared to wear it." Lafayette replied knowingly as he gave me his look and my shoulders slumped in defeat. How the hell was he able to read me so easily? "I looked through your underwear drawer when I picked you up for work last week. You were in the bathroom." He added as if knowing what I was thinking, and my mouth fell open in shock hearing him. "And let me tell you, a woman that has ALL hipsters and granny panties along with plain jane cotton bras isn't even _looking_ to feel sexy, she's _scared_ to feel sexy." He did a little hip movement and dip when he said sexy the last couple times, and I covered my face with my hands, still extremely embarrassed.

"I'd say that I'm shocked you went through my underwear drawer," I sighed as my hands dropped and I placed one on my hip out of habit, "but I know better. You'd do so with glee." I muttered dryly as I reached for my abandoned trey. Tonight I was out of the floor since Tara had been apparently hired on last night at the bar.

"Sweetheart," Lafayette spoke up as I moved to leave, and I was suddenly still at the very serious tone in his voice as I turned slowly to look at him with curiosity and slight concern, "you don't have to be a size eight or lower to be sexy. Hell, size twenty can be sexy; it all depends on the woman. Confidence is sexy, chére. Just you remember that." Lafayette walked up to me and gently tapped my nose with his finger, and I smiled softly as I held the trey to my stomach.

"You're the best, Lafayette." I murmured honestly as he grinned down at me.

"Mhm, I've been told that on _many_ occasions." He winked and I giggled, rolling my eyes slightly at his obvious innuendo. "Now get that cute ass out there and work it girl, but remember, you're _my_ sexy mama before any other man's." He added as I laughed softly, nodding.

"I'll remember." I murmured gently, before Lafayette winked at me and walked around, heading back towards the kitchen. I sighed, heading back out to the dining room and stopping as I noticed Bill sitting there at the table, glancing around to find Sookie already making her way towards him. I shook my head, frowning deeply as I walked over towards Sam and Tara at the bar, watching along with them. Everybody was tense, including myself, though I had to admit that he seemed like a nice enough guy last night. He didn't kill us after all. Still, he was a _vampire_ , and could turn on us as easily as he could befriend us. He even said so last night.

"Can I call on you?" I caught him asking as my eyes widened slightly, but Sookie looked confused.

 _Seriously, sweetheart, we need to watch more timeless romance movies._

"Um, can I come visit you, at your home?" Bill elaborated as Sam, Tara and I tensed even further, but I already knew that Sookie would say yes. But she did one better than that; not only did she say yes but she mentioned her _grandmother_ would like to meet him, and that she had a favor to ask for her grandmother and to meet her out _back_ of the bar at the end of her shift.

She was honestly looking to find herself raped and drained by the end of tonight, wasn't she?

Finally Bill stood to leave, and by the looks of how he had been surveying everyone it was because of the attention he was bringing himself and Sookie. Good, maybe now we could get somewhere inside of that fantasy filled head of her's.

"That's it, someone has to talk some sense into her." Sam muttered lowly under his breath, before taking off towards Sookie as she walked out back. Well, I mused to myself, I don't think Sam is the right person to try talking sense into her.

"Oh my god, he's going to kill her." Dawn exclaimed as she came around from the back of the restaurant, and I lifted an eyebrow hearing her. Tara meanwhile darted out back as well, and I sighed, realizing I would be left to man the bar. Again. See, it doesn't matter who gets hired on, I'll always end up in this exact spot.

"Better him than that vampire." I answered dryly as she gave me a look to say she clearly didn't find that funny, before we both set out to taking orders once more, Dawn on the floor and me at the bar. I watched as Sookie stormed out of the back, going back to taking orders but with a lot more hostility than normal. Tara came back along with Sam a few moments later, each looking rather glum as they did and clearly avoiding Sookie.

Well, now that those two had struck out I guess it would be my turn, cause there was no way in hell come closing time that I was allowing Sookie out of my sight. Not for a moment, and I didn't care what kind of bitch shit she through at me.

Closing came far too soon in my opinion as patrons began to clear out, and we all began to close down in a rather uncomfortable silence, thanks to Sookie. Though she did seem in a slightly better mood now as she grabbed her purse from next to mine back in Sam's office and dropped her apron off, mine soon following.

"Sookie, can I please wait with you?" I sighed, hoping I was taking the right approach to this. Hell, I knew for a fact telling her that she couldn't see him was the wrong thing to do if Tara and Sam were an example, but I could at least ask to be there as she spoke with him. I saw her about to cut me off, but I quickly spoke up before she could. "Please? It'll make _me_ feel better, okay? I promise after tonight I'll leave you two be, and let you have your…whatever this is going to be. But please, just for tonight, let me at least stand around with you till he gets there." I murmured, trying to appease the both of us, and she offered a reluctant, but accepting smile.

"Alright, only because you're the first one to not _tell_ me to stay away from him. I can tell you don't like the idea though." She murmured as I sighed heavily.

"Sookie, I'm trying, really, I am. But you can't just switch around people's feelings towards something that they've had for years over a single night with a single vampire. I'm terrified of them, alright? I can admit that, but I _am_ trying." I told her sincerely as I looked over to her. "And because of my own fear of them, I'm worried about you. Is there really something so wrong with that? Tara and Sam are just worried as well." I added knowingly as she had some sense to look a little guilty now that her temper had cooled.

"You didn't hear the things that Sam was saying to me, Alex." She murmured softly as I smiled a bit.

"I know I didn't, but I also know that he cares a great deal for you, and what he said he said out of concern for your well being, not to try and control you or tell you what to do per say." I murmured as I reached out, gently squeezing her shoulder.

"You're right. I just hope that tomorrow is a better day." Sookie sighed heavily as she opened the door to the office and I followed her out.

"Well, can't really get any worse, now, can it?" I asked lightly as she laughed softly, shaking her head and wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

"No, no it can't." She murmured in agreement as I wrapped an arm around her waist and we walked on out through the back door into the cooler night air. We heard the door closing around the corner, and turned to see Sam as he locked up and walked over to us, looking like a kicked puppy.

"Sookie…" He murmured as he trailed off and glanced towards me, and I offered him a small smile, "Alexandria…" He added awkwardly as he stood there, fiddling with his keys.

"Sam…" Sookie trailed off just as awkwardly, and I knew that she was definitely taking what I said into consideration now as she looked rather guilty standing there. The both of them did.

"Listen, did you want me to wait with you-"

"Go home, Sam." Sookie cut him off kindly as she nodded towards me. "Alex already volunteered to stick around until Bill came by." Looking a little miffed, Sam took the towel that had been resting on his shoulder, twisting it lightly in his hands.

"Night." He ended gruffly before walking right on by and over to his trailer. I sighed softly and shook my head at Sookie, but she gave me a look as if to tell me not to say a word as we walked together to her car. I frowned as we both heard rustling in the forest, and Sookie looked about, before heading out into the clearing further.

"Sookie, I don't think-"

"It could be Bill." Sookie interrupted and I huffed a bit in annoyance. She sure made a bad habit of that. I shook my head, frowning a bit more as I watched her from her car, before my eyes widened seeing two shadows suddenly rushing from the brush.

"Sook!" I shouted, but my warning came to late as Mack threw her down to the ground, Denise coming up as well and they both began to kick at her. Hard. I paled, rushing forward without thinking as I came to Denise first and grabbed her by the hair (yeah, I know, bitch move and I'm not proud of it, but what else was I going to do), yanking back hard enough to send her to the ground, and also pull out a patch of her hair.

"YOU FUCKING BITCH!" She screamed out at me, as she gripped onto her scalp in pain.

"Sookie get up!" I shouted at her, knowing that she didn't stand a chance if she stayed on the ground. Mack rushed me next, and I reacted with reflexes I didn't even know I had, smashing the heel of my hand directly up into his nose. I heard something crack, and blood came flowing from his nose as he bent over in agony. I grabbed Sookie under the arms and heaved her up, her body so limp she was pretty much dead weight as I did. She moaned in pain, clearly disoriented, before I grunted as I was hit from behind, and we both went sprawling to the ground. The next blow left me paralyzed as a leather boot made direct contact with my stomach, and I hunched over automatically into a fetal position. I could hear Mack still kicking at Sookie as she lay next to me, and was able to get my wits about me enough to raise my arms and block Denise's next kick to my face. I grabbed at her ankle quickly before she could bring her foot back and yanked on her, sending her sprawling on the ground, the wind knocked out of her.

"Where is your fucking chain _now_?" Mack snarled as he kicked Sookie so hard she nearly rolled directly over me, and I could almost _smell_ the blood in the air now. He was going to beat her to death if I didn't do something. I winced, Denise still writhing on the ground in pain, her back arching as if her spine had landed directly on a rock, and I took the opportunity to get up, glaring at Mack.

"Leave her the fuck alone you hillbilly reject!" I shouted out, though feeling proud as I saw the blood still leaking from his nose.

"And what are you going to do about it, you ugly bitch?!" Mack shouted as he came at me, and I acted without thinking once again. My leg came up quickly, missing Sookie by inches as I landed a hard kick.

Directly between his legs.

Yeah, once again, I knew it was a cheap shot, but hey, if it works it works after all. I watched once again in satisfaction as he fell to the ground in a heap, clutching at his crotch as he did, swearing and cussing loudly. Where the fuck was Sam? How could he _not_ hear any of this? Better yet, where the hell was Bill? I thought he cared about Sookie since he showed such keen interest in her.

I grunted as I was grabbed from behind by Denise once more, and she spun me around, her backhanded slap meeting my face directly beside my eye and the shock of it sent me sprawling to the ground once more. I groaned as I was kicked once more by her, before hearing Mack getting at Sookie again, and Denise reached around, muttering something about a 'dumbass ponytail', grabbing at Sookie's hair. Mack, meanwhile, stood straight, screaming out like the mad man he was before Denise, like the sick bitch she is, sauntered over to him and they pressed together over us sharing a kiss.

"I love you." Mack proclaimed and Denise giggled happily as she breathed heavily from exertion.

"I love you too, baby." My god…they were high! No wonder they were both rebounding so easily from my own blows; they were fucking high as kites and probably didn't feel a fucking thing! Meanwhile Sookie sounded like she was literally dying and my own body throbbed in pain as well, from my stomach to my face. I could feel blood dripping from my temple where Denise had hit me, one of her rings must've cut into the skin.

I gasped when Mack instead this time landed another kick to my stomach, chuckling gleefully as he did. His laughter was cut short, though, when I could hear the sound of a dog growling from behind them, and to my surprise I saw that old stray.

"Well _fuuccckkk_ you, Fido." Mack told the dog, turning towards it as he pulled out his pistol. My eyes widened seeing it glinting in the lamplight, but I was so out of breath and suddenly so _tired_ now the adrenaline was starting to wear off that I couldn't do anything. I felt helpless in that moment. Sookie somehow found the power to move, grabbing onto Mack's ankle, but I watched as suddenly the man was launched into the air into a nearby tree. Dear lord, had _Sookie_ done that? He was alive, but obviously injured.

"The fuck-" I heard a sickening crunch as Mack grew quiet, and I looked up as I slowly rose myself up onto my elbows to see that his neck was broken, his head hanging oddly to the side and blood pouring from between his lips.

Denise didn't seem too concerned as she looked around wildly, tensed now. "Show your fucking face, freak!" She demanded into the open space as I could near the sound of rustling. Was it Bill doing this? I gasped as Denise was suddenly launched into the sky as well, sitting up as best I could, and watching as she fell through the canopy of trees to fall limply on the ground, dead. I swallowed thickly, turning towards Sookie now as I gasped seeing the damage.

"Oh god, oh god, Sookie, we have to get you to a hospital!" I exclaimed as I gently cupped her bloodied face to get her to try and focus on me. She had blood all over her, but that wasn't really what scared me the most, it was not knowing how badly she was bleeding from the inside. What if her ribs were broken? What if she's punctured a lung?

Sookie simply groaned in response, her eyes closing and I truly began to panic, afraid to move her. "No, no, Sookie, keep your eyes open and on me. Stay awake! I need you to stay awake!" I exclaimed, afraid to shake her as she obviously began to go in and out of consciousness, before darkness finally consumed her. "No, no, no, no! Sookie!" I gasped out, wincing as I moved to sit on my knees, prepared to try and carry her to my own car to get her to emerge. Just as I was about to shift her, though, I heard footsteps approaching us.

And my suspicions were confirmed as I saw both the last person and the first person I wanted to see in this moment.

Vampire Bill…and he looked absolutely furious.

* * *

Wow, that was a lot longer of a chapter than I thought it was going to be! Well, hope you like Alexandria and I would love to hear some constructive feedback :)


	2. Chapter 2

Revisions

THANK YOU! Thank you SO much for all your support and wonderful reviews. I honestly didn't expect to see that many responses on just the first chapter :). Made writing the second chapter flow a lot easier! Hope you enjoy this one as much as the last!

Disclaimer: I own nothing that belongs to the writers of True Blood.

* * *

"Let me take her, I can heal her." Bill murmured, reaching for my friend as I frowned deeply, looking up at him.

"What are you talking about?" I demanded, instinctively pushing his hands away. "She needs to see a doctor!"

"She's going to die even if you take her to the hospital, but I can heal her using my blood!" Bill hissed at me as I felt the color drain from my face. "I can _smell_ death coming for her, Alexandria. Please, let me take her." Bill murmured as he gently pushed my stunned figure out of the way.

"I'm _not_ leaving you alone with her!" I hissed at him and he seemed slightly shocked that I was still arguing with him. "She's covered in _blood_. How do I know you'll be able to control yourself." I continued angrily as he frowned all the more, before he locked gazes with me.

"You'll let me take her," He began with a hypnotic voice, "and you will not panic, nor tell anybody. I will heal her. For her sake you _must_ trust me." There was a weird pull in my stomach, and suddenly I found I didn't have the will to argue with Bill any longer.

"Alright," I found myself saying as a sense of calm overtook me. "Just…be careful with her, okay?" I added quietly as he calmed and nodded stiffly, picking Sookie up quickly into his arms.

"Go home, Alexandria, rest and take care of yourself. Don't worry about Sookie, you'll see her again soon and she'll be good as new." Bill added softly, his voice still taking on this very hypnotic hum that just begged for me to listen. I nodded slowly, standing as well and wincing as my body ached. I watched, unable to explain why I was able to let him carry my best friend off into the woods without putting up any further arguments. I couldn't fathom why I was suddenly _okay_ with Bill being alone with her. All I knew at this point was that I wanted to go home, climb into my pitiful bathtub, down some painkillers and let sleep take me.

I sighed softly as I got through the front door of my apartment, letting my purse drop to the floor and throwing my keys into the glass bowl as I normally did. I toed off my shoes, walking into the kitchen and checking my answer machine, relieved to find there were no messages left on it. I trekked over to the fridge and opened it up, looking at the rather desolate selections, realizing that it was probably high time I went grocery shopping.

Huh, my friend was on the brink of death alone with a vampire and I was worried about groceries.

Feeling sick to my stomach at the realization I slammed the fridge closed, wincing as it jarred my sore sides. I rubbed my hand along my stomach and sore ribs, sighing heavily as I did. Well, at least as far as I could tell nothing was broken, though my stomach was pretty sore from the kick it had received. I wasn't coughing up blood, which was a good sign that I didn't have internal bleeding either.

I still couldn't believe that against all my better judgment I had allowed him to leave with her. What the hell was wrong with me? She could be dead now for all I knew, and I hadn't even put up a fight! I sighed shakily, running my fingers through my hair as the urge to take a bath hit me strong and I trudged out of the kitchen and over to my bathroom. I forgo the lights, instead lighting some candles I had placed around the bathroom and pushing the plug into the drain of my tub, throwing the water on to the right temperature and letting it fill. As it did I walked across the hallway to my room grabbed some pjs I had discarded about on the floor along with a towel and brought them back over to the bathroom with me. I dropped them onto the covered toilet seat, undressing as the tub continued to fill. Once it was done I stuck my foot in, hissing slightly at the heat as I slowly stepped completely into my small tub and lowered myself down into it. If I leaned back the water would cover most of my body, but not all of it. It definitely wasn't a soaker tub, especially when my dream was to own an old claw foot tub one day.

I sighed as I washed the blood and dirt from my hands, arms and face, wincing as my fingers pressed against the tender spot on my temple. Well, no doubt I'd have a bruise there come tomorrow. Shit, I hadn't even thought of the possibility of having a concussion, and the only thing I wanted to do was sleep! I sighed irritably, my head throbbing a bit in a telltale headache as I leaned back further into the warmth of the water steaming around me. I forced my eyes to stay away, frowning as I glanced down at my slightly slouched body just below the rippling surface of the water.

My breasts weren't huge, but not small either and ended up sitting above the water level of the tub. I guess they might be defined as a little less than a handful, but that wasn't the part of my body that bothered me the most. I frowned as my hand brushed over my rounded stomach, my skin layering slightly into folds sitting the way I was. I could see a bruise starting to form on my otherwise pale and slightly freckled skin under where my hand now rested on my stomach. This was the part that bothered me the most; you'd see girls out and about here with flat stomachs from just under their breasts down to the apex of their thighs, whereas I had slight rolls and curves along that same expanse of my body. If I laid down flat it was hardly noticeable, but as soon as I sat up, even slightly, the fat was easy to see on my body. I sighed heavily, following down to my thighs as my knees bent out of the water, frowning a bit as I took them in as well. Large, pale, and slightly freckled, the same description I would give my stomach. Hardly anything about me was toned, not even my butt which was rather larger than I'd like it to be.

Yep, I was a hefty woman, that was for sure. Sadly I took some joy in knowing I wasn't the heftiest out there, but I was still a pretty big girl.

I rolled my eyes at myself as I shook my head, figuring if I was going to be ragging on myself there wasn't much point to this 'relaxing' bath. I reached for the plug, standing and wrapping the towel around me as the tub drained, stepping out of it onto the rug. I dried off quickly, not bothering to spare a glance into the mirror right now as I pulled on my clothes hastily and blew out the candles. I walked over to my room, seeing my inviting bed sitting there in the moonlight streaming through my basement window.

With a huge sigh I eased myself into bed, not bother with painkillers or the possibility that I may very well have a concussion. Instead I let myself drift off into a rather deep sleep, where not even Vampire Bill and his nefarious plans for Sookie could bother me.

* * *

I pulled up to the Stackhouse residence, smiling some seeing Jason's truck there. Sure, the guy was an asshole to me, but I wouldn't wish jail on the poor bastard. I got out of my car after making sure that my bruise on my temple was covered for the most part; unfortunately cover up hadn't done as great of a job as I had wanted. I walked up the path and knocked lightly on the screen door before stepping in. "Anybody home?!" I called through the house, and smiled wider as I heard Sookie answer me with her own call back. Thank god she was all right!

I walked through to the kitchen and saw Tara, Jason and Sookie already sitting down at the breakfast table, the smell of eggs, sausage and homemade biscuits in the air.

"Hello, sweetheart." Annabelle Stackhouse cooed as she walked up, pressing a kiss to my forehead as she cupped my face. It was now I realized how a lot of people who knew me well always referred to me by that pet name in particular.

"Hey, Miss. Stackhouse." I murmured politely as I smiled warmly at the older woman. When my folks had moved away after I had finished high school she had become like another Mother to me, then again, she'd always treated me like one of her own grandkids whom she had taken under her wing when they're parents had died.

"I just put another pot on of coffee. Sit on down, dear, and I'll pour you a cup when it is ready. Help yourself to the food as well." She added kindly as she gently patted my bottom whilst directing me to the table. "You keep losing weight like you are and you'll be nothing but skin and bones."

"That will probably still take a while." I laughed a bit as a I sat down in the only open seat next to Jason who snorted a bit after hearing me. I pinched him roughly in the arm, to which he yelped and sent me a glare as Miss. Stackhouse remained oblivious to the silent conversation between the both of us at that point. I looked across the table towards Sookie, surveying her as she gave me a look before shaking her head and nodding to Annabelle when she wasn't looking. Ah, so her Grandma didn't know.

"How is everyone feeling this morning?" I asked easily as a way to get Sookie to tell me she was doing all right.

"Hungover." Tara muttered easily as she sighed some, rubbing her hands over her face.

"I feel just fine." Sookie replied as she grinned widely at me, showing me the truth behind her words. I nodded a bit, before Jason spoke up as well.

"I feel like a free man." He replied easily as he leaned back into his chair and rose his arms above him to stretch. I pinched my nose as a whiff of B.O. came across from him, waving my hand a bit.

"You also stink like one. Seriously, when was the last time you had a shower, Stackhouse?" I asked lightly as he chuckled, and as he was lowering his arms he swatted me over the back of my head. I hissed a bit, as the impact jarred my sore face and my temple throbbed.

"Shit, I didn't think that would hurt you." Jason frowned deeply as he leaned forward, and in a surprising move to me he pulled my hair back from my face to check on me. "What the-where the hell did you get that bruise?" He demanded as his hand grabbed at my chin to force me to face him a bit more.

Of course, this was when the extremely rare gentleman Jason came out.

"It's nothing, tripped and fell walking through my apartment last night." I tried to wave off as I gently pushed his hand from my chin. "My fault really, I should learn to put things away instead of having them laying around on the floor to trip over." I added as I glanced to Sookie who looked worried and anxious all at once.

"What the hell did you fall onto, the corner of a desk or something? That's some scratch you got there with that bruise." Jason frowned as Annabelle came shuffling around, pulling my hair back and looking at the bruise and cut herself, tsking slightly.

"Sweet girl, you're far too clumsy for your own good. Did you wash this out and clean it?" She asked as she lightly ran her fingers over the bruise and scratch, but even the slightest pressure caused me to wince and she instantly pulled back with a soft apology.

"Yeah, I did. Don't worry, Miss. Stackhouse, I took proper care of it." I smiled warmly at her as she smiled back, though she looked unsure. That was one thing with Annabelle Stackhouse; she could smell a fib a mile away. The phone rang suddenly, though, thankfully taking her attention from me as she moved across the room to answer the call and left the room to take it. I sighed softly then as Sookie relaxed as well, and we ate in silence for a few moments before Jason broke it.

"I don't even know why they suspected me, other than somebody had said I was with Maudette."

"Wait, you were being convicted for Maudette's murder?" I asked with a raised eyebrow, this being news to me. Of course I had heard that Maudette had been killed, but I hadn't linked one and two together. No, my mind had been rather preoccupied with the stunts that Sookie has been pulling the past couple days.

"Had you?" Sookie asked with a raised eyebrow as Jason munched rather grotesquely on a sausage, and I reached over him for one of the biscuits. He smacked my hand lightly and I pouted at him, to which he rolled his eyes and tossed one my way.

"No." He answered, his mouth still filled with the sausage as he did.

"Jason, should I be reading into your sausage complex a little more?" I asked as he hungrily bit into it once again, taking another large piece. He glared at me once more, chewing a little more slowly this time.

"Are you sure? She was a woman." Sookie added rather sarcastically to him as I snorted in amusement, and he gave Sookie a look now as if to tell her to drop it.

"That's funny, but at least she was human." He snapped back and for a moment I couldn't help appreciating his answer to Sookie. After all, she had technically started it, and once in a while it did her some good to be pulled off of her high horse, which Jason was pretty good at doing.

"You will never believe what happened!" Annabelle came rushing back in, effectively ending the uncomfortable silence between the four of us.

"What happened?" Sookie asked as Annabelle went back to shuffling around the kitchen and getting more breakfast settled on the table. I hummed at the smell and instantly started to pile things onto my plate, smacking Jason's hand this time when he started to get too greedy with the bacon. He pouted, throwing his hands up in the air in an exasperated fashion before sitting back in his chair and starting to pick at what he already had on his plate.

Ha. I win.

"Apparently a tornado touched down over by four tracks corners. It turned over that red trailer in the clearing, you know which one?" She asked as we all nodded. Yeah, we all knew where Denise and Mack lived unfortunately, it was the honey hole of all drug activity in the town. "Well it killed that couple that's been staying in there."

"Woah, wait, Mack and Denise Rattray?" Jason asked as he sat up a bit more, clearly startled by the news. I felt the color draining from my face as my hands shook slightly and I hid them under the table. That's right, last night, he had _killed_ them; Bill had killed both the Rattrays. How on earth hadn't I thought of that till now? Apparently Sookie was in the same boat as he shared an anxious glance with one and other.

"They were trapped, under the trailer. Mike Spencer said they were squished to a pulp." Annabelle ended rather solemnly as I swallowed heavily hearing her.

The rest of breakfast was a rather solemn affair, and Jason left soon after along with Tara, leaving just Sookie and I.

"Gran, Alex and I are going to take a drive." Sookie spoke up as I nodded and stood, knowing where she was planning on heading. If anything my curiosity was peaked as well. "We'll be back soon, alright?"

"Take your time, dears, it is your day off after all." Annabelle smiled kindly as I smiled back, unable to stop from doing so. Her smiles were always infectious.

"Thanks again for breakfast, Miss. Stackhouse."

"Oh, you are more than welcome, sweetheart." Annabelle replied easily as we both bid her goodbye and fairly well ran for Sookie's car.

* * *

"Oh my god. Sookie, this is just _too_ coincidental. He had to have had _something_ to do with this." I gushed out as Sookie pulled from her driveway, nodding and swallowing heavily.

"What else was he supposed to do though? He killed the both of them for _us_ , Alex." Sookie reasoned as her grip tightened on the wheel. "All he wants is to lead a normal life here, and I don't think being known as a murderer is going to help with his transition into our world." She added as I had to bite back a remark that he was _already_ a murder, if not a hundred times over.

"So what exactly happened last night after he left with you?" I asked, unable to stop my curiosity any further.

"Oh, Alex, he was just so…" Sookie sighed happily as she looked positively radiant this morning, a far cry from how she had looked near death last night. "He took me down by the pond, and he…well he fed me his blood."

"Dear lord," I sighed heavily as I let my head fall against the passenger side window. "I've heard of some pretty fucking weird shit happening when humans drink vampire blood, Sook."

"It wasn't weird at all, I was completely healed. It was like a miracle or something. I mean, you can see for yourself, I feel even _better_ than I normally do." Sookie replied happily as I couldn't help but admit that she definitely did look a lot better. "He's going to call on me tonight." She giggled excitedly. "Oh my gosh, 'call on me', I feel like I'm in some 1800s romance novel." She squealed a bit as I rose an eyebrow at her.

"So he's going to meet your Gran?" I asked skeptically as she looked over to me, frowning some.

"Yeah, what is so wrong about that?" I laughed a bit as I shook my head.

"God help him if he ever hurts you once Annabelle knows what he looks like." I muttered as Sookie sighed heavily.

"He isn't like that. He's a perfect gentleman. If you'd just give him a chance you'd see it too." She murmured as she glanced over to me with those big blue eyes. "That is what I always liked about you. Unlike Tara, you're not narrow minded. At least, not really." She added softly as she sighed some. "Just please, for me, give him a chance. I'd love for him to get to know you, for you both to become friends."

Dear lord she was pulling that fucking shit on me? I groaned a bit, running my hand over my face and wincing as I pushed to hard, agitating the bruise once more. "I can try, Sookie, for you." I muttered begrudgingly. "But if there is any weird shit that happens, I'm out of there, you understand?"

"Deal!" Sookie squealed happily. "I'll have to plan a time for the three of us to go out together, just not tonight." She looked at me apologetically. "I think he's meeting enough new people tonight."

"Especially when one of them is your Gran." I snorted a bit, knowing that the elderly lady would be absolutely awestruck and asking him all the questions she could manage to fit into a night.

"By the way, how are _you_?" Sookie asked then in concern as I looked over to her, shrugging my shoulders and offering a bit of a smile.

"I'm alright for the most part." I murmured as she chewed some on her lower lip.

"You were really brave last night. I'd have probably been much worse off if you hadn't have been there." She added as I smiled some hearing her. Truth be told, I didn't think I was much help at all, if any. I wasn't a fighter, not normally, not until my friends or I were directly threatened.

"It wasn't so much bravery as stupidity. If I had been smart I would've called for help, ran for Sam. We were no match for those two, what with them being all hopped up on drugs. I pulled out Denise's hair, bruised her back most likely, broke Mack's nose and kicked him in the balls and they both still kept coming." I muttered dryly as Sookie couldn't help a small laugh.

"Did you really break Mack's nose?"

"Yeah, but I think your vampire boyfriend one upped me by breaking his neck." I added sarcastically as Sookie and I fell into an uncomfortable silence once more, thinking about last night. I don't think the sound of bones breaking will ever leave my sub-conscious and it made me feel slightly ill.

The car rounded down the dirt road that led to the Rattray's place and we stopped just before the yellow tape and the metal rails that were meant to keep people out. Obviously Sookie and I didn't follow such rules. We got out of the car, and I couldn't believe my eyes as I saw the full destruction before us. Tornado indeed; well Bill had certainly covered his tracks rather well. A fallen tree lay across the trailer, uprooted and twisted along with the metal frame it sat upon. Just seeing the sheer destruction, and knowing the real cause behind it, send a shiver of foreboding down my spine. Vampires were meant to be feared, that much I came to the definite conclusion of as I looked at the steel roofing that laid half way across the yard.

"Oh my goodness, Sookie, this place is absolutely _destroyed_." I gasped as I looked around in sick wonder, looking back to Sookie who held a look of bewilderment on her own face.

"I just never realized…what utter and raw strength he has." She murmured in awe struck wonder, before we were both startled out of our thoughts as a van came rumbling down the road. The coroner's van, to be precise. Out of the van stepped the sheriff and Mike Spencer, Mike greeting them both with a warm smile.

"Well, Sookie Stackhouse and Alexandria Hanson." He called out in greeting as the sheriff leaned against one of the metal railings, looking at us both suspiciously. Well, we _were_ standing inside a crime scene, so I suppose that was warranted.

"Sookie, Alex, you both remember Mike Spencer?" The sheriff asked lightly as Sookie gave a bit of a colder smile.

"Of course, you buried my parents." Sookie's voice had a bite to it, but Mike Spencer either ignored it or genuinely didn't seem to notice as he gave a happy nod of affirmation.

"Yep. I got a new job now; coroner, but I still run the funeral home." He replied lightly, all smiles and laughter as he did.

"Oh, that's gotta be convenient." Sookie replied sarcastically, and Mike actually seemed to catch on as he looked a little awkward after that.

"Sookie, Alex," The sheriff began, "this is still a restricted crime scene." He told us both seriously as he walked in an over to us now, Mike staying behind the barrier still. Smart man. "Why are you girls here?"

"Oh, well, when we heard what happened we had to see for ourselves." I spoke up, giving Sookie time to calm herself from her barely restrained temper at the time. No doubt she was still pissed at the sheriff and Andy for taking Jason into jail the other day.

"Yes, what an _awful_ thing." Sookie supplied, though I wished she could've sounded a _little_ more sincere about it right now.

"You know I heard you both weren't too fond of the Rattrays." He looked at Sookie and I with a raised eyebrow, tucking his thumbs into his gun belt as he did.

"Where did you hear that?" Sookie asked lightly and I couldn't bring myself to even try to respond as a lump caught in my throat.

"My niece is the emergency room nurse in Monroe. Says someone busted up ol' Mack pretty good the other night. Everybody says that, that somebody was either you or Alex here."

"Me? Little ol' me bust up a big man like Mack?" I asked dubiously then as I placed a hand on my cocked hip. "Now sheriff, where can you make sense out of that one?"

"They were hurting a friend of our's." Sookie replied, completely ignoring my attempt at lying as I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and throw my hands into the air hearing her.

"Would this be that vampire I heard about? The one who is living at the old Compton house?" The sheriff asked as he continued to regard the both of us with suspicion.

"The old Compton house? Just across the field from where I live?" Oh, of course _that_ would be what Sookie would pick up on.

"That's the one."

"Your grandmother lets you associate with a vampire?" Mike spoke up dubiously from behind his both.

"You can take that up with her, Mike Spencer. I'm sure she'd love to hear that someone thinks she's not taking proper care of me." Sookie snapped at him as I frowned deeply, crossing my arms and looking to Mike.

"I call dibs on your funeral home." I spoke up nonchalantly, and Mike had the good sense to shut up again.

"The Rattrays were draining him." I sighed softly, speaking up and Sookie regarded me with a surprised expression. "Now correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that draining a vampire is against the law, is it not? Where the law couldn't be Sookie and I stepped in, and unfortunately Mack ended up hurt." I shrugged my shoulders slightly with feigned indifference.

"And now they're both dead?" The sheriff asked me as he frowned deeply, obviously getting a little agitated by my proclamation.

"Yeah," Sookie replied in a 'no duh' voice, "killed by a _tornado_."

"Tornadoes hop, and this one didn't land anywhere else. Nobody around here heard or saw anything like a tornado last night." The sheriff continued in an accusatory voice as he circled around Sookie and I. Sookie stood with a straighter back now, but I unfortunately was losing my confidence in our argument.

"Are you telling me you seriously think that one man could do all this?" _Oh, bad argument Sookie, bad argument_.

"He's not a man." Mike spoke up from beside the van and even Sookie had to stop for a moment to think about another valid point.

"They're really not that different from you and me, if you even bothered to try and get to know one-"

"Sookie, Alex, you both are good girls. I'd hate to see you both go down this path." The sheriff sighed, suddenly looking rather tired and I couldn't help take pity on the guy.

"And we appreciate your concern, really we do." I spoke up as I motioned for Sookie to back down with a gentle press of my hand to her arm. "But Sookie is right, just like not all humans are bad, not all vampires are bad. And of course, the flip side being that not all humans are good, same as not all vampires are good. Are we going to base our assumptions of, essentially, another human race on a few bad apples?" I asked with a raised eyebrow as Sookie sat there, obviously stunned. Hell, even I was surprised at myself. Never would I have thought that I'd be arguing in favor of my worst nightmare. But after last night, seeing the way that Bill had swooped in and taken care of Sookie, well, some of my faith was built in regards that some vampires might actually have good intentions. The men were both speechless and I decided this was as good an opportunity as any to duck out.

"Well, gentlemen, Sook and I really must be on our way. It is getting late after all." I added as I gently tugged on her hand. "Come on Sook." I muttered quietly to her as I tugged her with me to her car and got in with her quickly. She pulled away silently, remaining silent for a few more moments, before breaking into a large grin.

"Alex?"

"Dear lord, I think I'm going to regret this, but yes?" I sighed heavily as I looked over to her beaming face.

"I'm going to tell Bill you defended his honor when I see him tonight."

"Do and I'll kill you before he has a chance to." I muttered darkly then, slumping down into my seat and Sookie giggled her tinkling laugh as we continued down the road back to her place.

"No, really, you're an amazing person, Alex. I'm glad to have you as my friend." Sookie spoke up softly after a few moments and I sighed as I relaxed a bit more, looking over to her and smiling softly.

"Same to you, Sookie." I murmured lightly, before returning my gaze back out the window.

This has been a _long_ forty-eight hours.

* * *

I sighed softly as I shook my head whilst walking about the bar, on the floor tonight since Tara was in at the bar. I smiled as I walked past Sookie as she was taking an order from a group of younger guys, all of which were looking at her like they would rather have _her_ spread out on the table for dinner.

Well, at least they were human.

I snorted some at that thought and shook my head, heading over towards the bar to get a pitcher of bud for a table full of men and women both who really didn't need it at this point.

"Tara, need another pitcher of Bud!" I called to her as she waved at me lightly, and moving around to grab a pitcher to fill for me. I sighed some as I leaned against the countertop, before frowning deeply as I caught sight of Arlene standing off to the side behind the bar, looking deep in thought. I walked around quietly, reaching out and gently placing my hand on her back so as to not startle her. She hardly moved, but her eyes shifted to acknowledge me.

"Hey, what's going on, Arlene?" I asked her gently as she let out a shaky sigh.

"Nothing." She muttered and I frowned more, knowing something was _definitely_ up. Arlene didn't waste an opportunity to complain about something going wrong with her life, but if it was something huge she usually holed it up inside of her.

"Alright…well, if you find you wanna talk at some point tonight, you know where I am." I murmured lightly then, backing away, before frowning as Sookie came around the corner looking rather flustered.

"Whats up, Sook?" I wondered if _everyone_ but me was having an off night tonight.

"The boys at the table grabbed at my ass." Sookie rolled her eyes as I smirked and shook my head. Of course, what night wasn't complete without Sookie, Dawn, or Arlene being groped? "Listen, Arlene, could you let Réne know that I'm really grateful for help with those jerks tonight, I was so flustered that I might've seemed ungrateful…" Sookie trailed off and I realized what she was doing, my eyes widened as I shook my head quickly at her.

"No, Sookie, don't, it's a time bombing waiting to go off." I tried to warn her quietly, but she pushed past me to pull Arlene into her arms into a hug. Arlene was started, even hugging Sookie back at first, before she got her wits about her and shoved Sookie away angrily.

"Did you just read my mind?" Arlene asked with disgust as she regarded Sookie angrily.

"Sorry, I'm not very focused tonight." Sookie winced as Arlene didn't back down.

"My private thoughts are none of your business." She huffed, before turning sharply away as I sighed some when Sookie looked at me. I shrugged my shoulders uselessly, before frown deepened as she looked behind me and I saw Sam standing there.

"Sookie, can I see you in my office?" He asked, his voice serious, before he continued on down the hall.

"Tonight is not your night." I laughed at her and she rolled her eyes then, shaking her head and moving on past me with a slight huff.

I walked back around, seeing Tara finishing on filling the pitcher of beer as I slid up beside Dawn, leaning against the countertop.

"So, how is Jason?" Tara asked lightly, but I could tell she was _really_ interested in the nature of his and Dawn's relationship. I nearly sighed, wishing that Tara wouldn't put herself through this.

"He's probably pretty pissed of at me right about now." Dawn giggled as she finished writing up a receipt. "Hell, he probably deserves it."

"Yeah, I gotta say, I'm surprised you and him got back together." Tara continued on lightly as she set the pitcher down in front of me, before leaning casually against the counter. I threw her a knowing look whilst Dawn was preoccupied and she threw me one back that definitely screams 'not a fucking word.'

"No more than I am baby, believe me." Dawn laughed as she shook her head.

"Think things are going to last?" Tara almost demanded to know as Dawn tilted her head slightly, as if finally catching on. Great, Tara, way to be subtle.

"Is there a reason you wanna know, Tara?" Dawn asked lightly as a knowing smile lit up her features and I had to hold back a snort as Tara shook her head.

"No. Ever since I've been friends with Sookie I've just gotten a kick out of watching Jason's escapades; women…ya know." She shrugged, trying her best to seem indifferent at this point. Dawn had caught on though as she gave a small nod, but the slight smirk on her lips told me she definitely didn't buy it.

"Mhm, sorta." Dawn laughed as she turned, heading back towards the dining room, and I grabbed onto the pitcher.

"Way to let her know that you're _totally_ not interested in Jason." I muttered sarcastically as Tara glared at me.

"Shut the hell up and take your beer." Tara barked at me as I broke into a grin, shaking my head and doing as I was told. I walked up to Réne and Hoyt, setting the pitcher down for them and smiling kindly. They were a couple of the more decent guys that frequented this place.

"T'anks, chére." Réne smiled as I nodded in return.

"Thanks, Lexie." Hoyt spoke up as well, a little more shyly and I smiled a bit more.

"Not a problem, gentlemen." I returned, before turning around and heading back towards the bar, taking notice that Sookie had returned from the back by now. Both her and Tara were looking rather perplexedly at the television, and I tilted my head to watch as well. My eyes widened in surprise seeing the picture of Theodore Newlin and his family on the screen, the headlines telling of their death in a car crash earlier that evening. I frowned, and both Tara and I looked to Sookie, who simply shook her head and moved by the both of us. She obviously had the same idea as us; vampires no doubt would be blamed for this so called accident. I sighed heavily, running my fingers through my brown waves as I watched her go, sharing a look with Tara for a moment.

Why couldn't we get through one night of work anymore without any drama?

"She's _dead_ , Alex!" Came Sookie's frantic voice over the phone to me the next day. I frowned deeply, able to hear the desperation in her voice and immediately knew that she was being utterly seriously.

"Who, sweetie, who's dead?" I asked sharply, grabbing my keys from the bowl by the door and shoving my feet into flip flops. "Where are you, honey, I'm coming." I added as she stuttered hysterically into the phone, unable to even answer me. "Sookie! Take a deep breath and tell me where you are!" I shouted, regretting it as soon as I did, but she was really starting to scare me. Who was _dead_?

"I'm at-I'm at Dawn's…" Sookie choked out and I paused in my doorway, having thrown the door open. Dawn's…oh god no. "It's Dawn, Alex, she's _dead_."

"Oh my god…" I gasped, feeling as if this moment was extremely surreal. Dawn? Lively, vibrant, sweet Dawn was _dead_? "Oh my god…" I repeated once again, unsure of anything to say, before swallowing thickly, snapping myself back into it. I held onto my car keys tightly, feeling the teeth of the metal biting painfully into my skin as I rushed for my old Trailblaizer. "Sookie, I'm on my way. Don't. Move." I told her firmly, slamming my phone shut and tossing it into the passenger side seat hastily as I climbed in. How? Why? Who would _kill_ Dawn of all people? _Why_ was Dawn dead? I took a deep shaky breath, feeling my throat closing up and my eyes burning, trying to force it all down as I started the car.

Just one day, just one fucking day, that was all I asked for, and instead Dawn is dead because of it.

* * *

It only took me a few minutes to get to her house, I was speeding most of the way no doubt.

We were there for hours, Sookie, Jason and I, as the cops came and surveyed the crime scene before finally getting to asking all three of us questions. I wasn't questioned nearly as much as Sookie or Jason, since they had been there first, but things definitely weren't looking good for Jason. Apparently he and Dawn had, had a fight last night that the neighbor had caught, and with Jason's current track record of being involved with murdered women he shot straight to the top suspects list. In fact, he was the _only_ suspect at this point.

I frowned as I waited now by my car, the crowds still hanging around like vultures waiting from any piece of juicy gossip, or to even watch morbidly as Mike Spencer and his help carried Dawn's lifeless body out from the house. A shudder ran down my spine as I wrapped my arms around myself. Shewas _gone_ ; that was really hard to wrap my head around. She wasn't going to suddenly be there, hugging me like she normally did, or laying sloppy kisses on my cheeks anymore. There was nothing left of her except that empty body.

I had never done well with death, not since I was a kid and my grandmother had passed away. The finality of it always terrified me. No matter if there was an afterlife or not, you never returned to this place as the same person you once were. You never see your family again, or your friends. You're just gone, and the only thing left behind is some ashes or upturned soil with bones buried in an overpriced box six feet under. Death was a terrifying concept, a terrifying event in every human's life, and anyone who tells you differently are lying in my opinion. I suddenly wanted out of here. Now.

I glanced towards Sookie as she sat next to Sam, Sam having come by as soon as he had heard. I let him and Sookie talk after he had given me a large and long hug before I made an excuse to go to my car. Only a few moments later, though, and they were interrupted by one of the officers, and then soon after Sookie stood as they finally carried Dawn's body from her home; no doubt what all these good people of Bon Temps had gathered around to watch. My gaze followed the large black bag that now held my departed friend, and a cold shiver washed through me as the chill of death seemed to grip me upon seeing it. I swallowed heavily, before turning my attention to Sookie as she made her way over to me, opening my arms as she walked right into me and I held her tightly while rubbing her back gently as I did.

"I'm going into work tonight." Sookie murmured after some time had passed and she gently pulled away, her own arms wrapped around me as well. I nodded in understanding hearing her as I offered a small smile.

"Yeah, I think that is a good idea. I'm going to go as well." I murmured softly, this being one of my days off as well. Just like Sookie, though, I couldn't be left alone to just sit and _think_ about all this. Hell, I had done enough of that by now and I wasn't even alone to really let it sink in. "Did you want me to drive you out to your place?" I asked then, concerned to have her behind the wheel. What with Dawn, and Jason being thrown into jail again under suspicion of Dawn's murder, well, any sane person would be having a mental breakdown. Not to say Sookie was _insane_ , but when it came to death she was unique in a sense; it didn't faze her nearly as much as it should have. At least, not yet.

"No, I'll be fine." Sookie assured me as she managed a small smile in return, before letting her arms drop back to her sides. "I'll see you later at work then?"

"Definitely." I murmured softly as I sighed shakily then, before chewing some on my lower lip as Sookie turned to move away. "Sookie?" I found myself calling out then; after all that had happened, I couldn't stop myself from reassuring her and I. "I love you and Tara like sisters, you know that right?" I murmured quietly but seriously. I had even considered Dawn family, but she probably hadn't known that before she died today. Sookie nodded, her eyes understanding as she did.

"You too, Alex." She replied softly, before turning and walking more quickly to her car now as I took a deep breath and shakily climbed into my own car.

Dawn was dead, and for me and countless others, Bon Temps will never be the same without her.

* * *

"Dawn sure left us high and dry here." Arlene complained as I turned to her with a disbelieving snort. True, it was a busy night at Merlotte's, and it didn't help hearing all the dirty rumors going around about Dawn. Well, some of them were true, but still, it hurt to think that people would speak so nastily about the dead. It was rather unsettling actually, and one of the few times I was pessimistic enough lose my faith in the human race. I had to bite my tongue almost to the point of bleeding when I would serve the tables and hear them talking in hushed whispers about Dawn being a 'fangbanger' or her deserving to die because she spent a lot of time at that bar _Fangtasia_ in Shreveport. Where in the hell do they believe it's alright to say shit like that? No one _deserved_ to die, not unless they themselves have killed another human being, at least that was my view.

"It's not like she meant not to be here." Sookie spoke up then as I frowned deeply, standing between both woman now as I waited for my own drinks to be made to take with the food to Dawn's old section. Maybe I was overreacting slightly, but it was haunting to even _be_ in that section right now.

"No, but if she didn't spend her nights off at that vampire bar in Shreveport she still would be." Arlene had the utter gull to reason as my mouth dropped open in shock and disgust hearing her. How _dare_ she?

"Seriously, Arlene? You're going to bring this all down on someone who isn't even here…" I found my throat closing up a bit then as I took a shaky breath, "here to defend themselves?" I finished with a weak voice as Arlene had the audacity to shrug her shoulders in indifference. "You're unbelievable; just as bad as the rest of those people out there, except worse cause you were supposed to be Dawn's _friend_." I hissed at her angrily then as she turned and looked at me with clear surprise. Well it wasn't normal for me to act angry after all, usually I was the happy person who people figured never got angry, or depressed. Well news flash, just cause I act happy and easy going on the outside doesn't mean that I'm not capable of other fucking emotions. Like the utter rage I've been feeling all tonight; perhaps it had been a bad idea after all to come into work. "What's more is that you're _speaking_ to friends of Dawn's and I've honestly had it up to here with everyone's crude and disgusting remarks about her. I don't need to hear it from you, especially when it shouldn't be _coming_ from you." I muttered darkly, jerkily grabbing the drinks passed to me for my order and slamming them down on the trey. "For your own health, Arlene, I suggest staying the _fuck_ away from me tonight." I muttered, hearing her sputter in shock before turning sharply and jerkily throwing down the order onto the table of unsuspecting customers. Only, I didn't feel so bad because they had been one of the ones bad mouthing Dawn before.

"Hey!" Cried one of the men indignantly as he frowned deeply at me. "Watch it!"

"Oh shut the fuck up, eat your shit and leave." I muttered, at this point hardly caring about professionalism as I turned sharply from the table once more, storming further into the dining room to take more orders with increasing reluctance. I managed to blunder my way through a couple more orders, bringing them back to Lafayette as he stood in the kitchen.

"Hey there, sweetheart." Lafayette spoke up, before looking up to me and whistling lightly. "Oh girl, you look _hot_ when you're all _bothered_." He smirked, but I didn't have it in me to even crack a smile at him like I normally did when he said stuff like that to me. Stuff that in an indirect way was meant to make me smile and lift my self-esteem that little bit he was always trying to achieve. His smirk fell into a serious look as he nodded his head towards me now and I swallowed heavily, walking around and back into the kitchen. "Come here, child." He hummed and grabbed me, pulling me into his arms and holding me tight. It was there, at work of all places and in Lafayette's arms that I felt the first tears prickling and falling from my eyes.

"They're all saying such awful things about her." I croaked as I held onto him tighter and he gently shushed me, rubbing his large hands comfortingly against my back. "It's _terrible_ ; how could they all be so fucking heartless?" I hissed out as I gave a shaky sigh, and Lafayette gently pushed me back to regard me as his thumbs brushed at my tears.

"Honey child, people are assholes by nature. It's only through proper selection that people like you and I come to be." Lafayette murmured soothingly as he sighed some. "I know it is difficult to do, but you need to try and let it go. While here at least." He added quickly as I looked up to him with watery green eyes no doubt and he tsked lightly. "Pretty eyes like your's shouldn't have tears in them." He muttered as he wiped at my tears once more. "Now come on, Dawn wouldn't want you sobbing and getting Lafayette here all snotty. Green doesn't work as well for me as it does for you." He teased and I gave a watery laugh, amazed at how a simple hug from Lafayette suddenly helped me to release all the tension and rage I had been holding in since the start of the shift.

"You're awesome, beautifully, spectacularly awesome."

"Don't I know it, sweetheart. Now do me a favor and get me some hamburger patties from in the freezer?" Lafayette smiled then as he lightly pushed me towards the freezer and I nodded, placing my hand and giving a heaving pull. "WAIT!-" Lafayette suddenly yelled as I looked at him confused when the door swung open, before looking back into the freezer and looking on wide eyed at what I saw.

Apparently Lafayette had forgotten he had left a horny Jason inside of his freezer.

"DEAR SWEET JESUS! PUT THAT THING AWAY!" I screamed then, feeling blinded by the bright purple… _thing_ that was staring right back at me in that moment. My hands flung up to my face and I backed away quickly, Jason clearly struck stupid by my sudden appearance before I heard him scrambling for something in the freezer to cover himself. When I dared to open my eyes I saw he had a frozen steak sitting in his lap. "What the hell _is wrong with you_?" I shouted and Lafayette rushed to my side, pressing his hands to my shoulders whilst trying to gently shush me.

"He's having a bit of an issue. Took some trial drugs at the hospital for money. You know how the boy is." Lafayette explained smoothly as I looked from him to Jason, before looking back to him. See, a naïve girl such as myself believed Lafayette whole heartedly, whereas a more experienced girl would realize that what Lafayette was sputtering out to me was complete and utter bullshit.

"Uh, should he be going to a _hospital_ then?"

" _Fuck no_!" Jason hissed from inside the freezer. "And if you know what is good for you, you won't say a _damn word_ to anybody about this!" He shouted, clearly flustered and just as embarrassed as I was.

"He'll be going to the hospital once I can drive him there, for now he needs to keep his dick on ice." Lafayette replied, a hint of humor in his voice as he glanced over towards Jason, before looking back to me. "Our secret though, lil' bit. Sam wouldn't take kindly to-"

"Jason having his junk all over the steaks? Yeah, I could see why." I muttered sarcastically as Jason glowered at me from the floor of the freezer. Any other situation and I would've found this absolutely hilarious. "Fine, fine, just…if Arlene has supper here one of these nights and asks for a steak, she gets that one." I muttered, pointing to the steak that Jason had in his lap, and Lafayette rose an eyebrow at me.

"Deal."

"Awesome, good luck with that _thing_ , Jason." I muttered as he looked even angrier.

"It's my _dick_ , Lexie, my _dick._ " He muttered, pouting. "Not as if you'd have anything to compare it to."

"Well, at least I know one thing from sex ed, it _definitely_ shouldn't look like your's." I snorted a bit, before tilting my head some. "Wonder if we took a needle to it, if it would pop? Like a pimple, or a balloon or something?" I questioned lightly, watching all the color drain from Jason's face. Lafayette hooted with laughter, before gently ushering me towards the door of the kitchen after shutting the door of the freezer.

"That was _bad_ , girl, but deserved nonetheless." Lafayette smirked as he lightly shoved me out the doorway. "Remember, mum is the word." He murmured with his index finger pressed to his pouty lips, before sashaying his way back into the kitchen. I shook my head, before jumping as someone grabbed my arm, but heart racing as I turned to see it was Sookie looking rather excited.

"You need to go home and change before meeting me at my place in a half hour. We're going to _Fangtasia_ tonight?

Say _what_?!

* * *

Well, turns out I was a sort of buffer for Sookie as she needed some way to establish to Bill that this was in no way, shape or form a date on her behalf.

Yeah, I'm used to being used, however pathetic that sounds.

I still couldn't believe I was on my way to a fucking _vampire_ bar, the last place on earth any sane person (i.e., ME) would want to be caught. At this exact moment , though, I was more concerned with what we were listening to; it sounded like something from forty years ago, and it was the _only_ sound in the car as everyone was eerily silent.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Sookie asked from beside Bill in a sweet voice, finally breaking the quiet in the car between the three of us.

"You might not like knowing what I'm thinking." He responded lightly with a playful smirk on his face as he glanced from her back to the road. Oh dear lord, please just remember I'm in the backseat the both of you.

"Most of the time I do." She replied, egging him on, and at this point I knew she was fishing for a compliment. Way to make it subtle, Sookie. I rolled my eyes and slouched back slightly in the seat, preparing myself for an extremely awkward conversation. For Sookie not wanting this to be a date, she seemed to be trying awfully hard to follow the guidelines of one. She had dressing up down, and now she was working on polite small talk.

"You won't care for it." Bill insisted, his eyes dragging over to her once more, obviously appreciating what Sookie was wearing. This was the part that I grew rather annoyed with when it came to Sookie; she'd say one thing because she knows its improper for her to do so, but then she'll make actions that scream the opposite. Just own up to the fact you _want_ him to be attracted to you! Golly!

"That doesn't mean I don't want to know."

 _It is_ supposed _to, Sookie. Jesus, quit acting so desperate for attention_! I nearly sighed in annoyance, glad to see that it appeared she wasn't listening to my thoughts at the moment, or else I'm sure I'd have gotten a glare or two by now. Lord knows I love the girl, she's one of my best friends, but this is something that really annoyed me about her. She was so pretty and yet the way she craved Bill's attention right now to the point of desperation showed how insecure she really was. If anyone should be insecure in this car it was me! But you don't see _me_ flaunting my boobs and asking some guy to comment on them!

"You look like vampire bait." Bill replied gruffly and my attention was now completely directed towards the conversation. What the hell had he meant by that?

"What?" Sookie asked with a laugh, obviously just as shocked by the terminology, but clearly not offended. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"I promise your Grandmother that no harm would come to you, or Alexandria, tonight at Fangtasia." Bill replied evenly as I lifted an eyebrow, my heart warming hearing the concern shown by that wonderful woman for me. As if she didn't have enough to worry about with Jason and Sookie, but she worried about me as well. God bless her. "I'm not sure I'm going to be able to keep that promise with you dressed like this." He added lowly as Sookie raised an eyebrow.

"So are you saying you think I look nice?" Sookie asked in a smooth southern drawl as I couldn't help but roll my eyes this time, barely holding back a snort of disbelief at her blatant flirting. I really had to talk to her about sending mixed signals.

"Doesn't matter what I think. This isn't a date, remember?" Bill replied evenly and a laugh burst through my lips hearing him. I slapped my hand over my mouth then, unable to stop smiling though in amusement as Sookie turned to playfully glare at me and Bill sent me an amused look in the rearview mirror.

"You're telling me that Alex doesn't look like vampire bait as well?" Sookie asked, and I glared back at her this time, knowing she was trying to embarrass me to get back for laughing at her. I frowned a bit, my skin flushing with my embarrassment as Bill looked at me in the rearview with a kind smile. I already knew I didn't look like 'vampire bait' as for one I wasn't nearly as pretty as Sookie, and for another thing I didn't exactly have my girls pushing up from under my top like Sookie did from her dress. I was wearing a black spaghetti strap tank top under my fake leather coat (which I didn't plan on removing all night) and once of my nicer fitting jeans with my black cowgirl boots. My wardrobe was plain, but I added on some really light make up around my eyes to make the green stand out and a very light shade of lip gloss to make my full lips look smoother which dressed up the ensemble slightly. It may have not been some knock out out-fit, but I still thought I looked nice _enough_.

"She looks nice as well, but she's not showing as much skin as you are. She'll seem less… _available_ to the other vampires there." Bill replied diplomatically. Hell, I knew I dressed conservatively, as I have been told I need to update my wardrobe from grandma to young woman multiple times, but in this instance obviously my style choices were working for my advantage. "Which is good since she isn't claimed." He added as I did a little fist pump.

"Mission accomplished." I replied lightly and both Sookie and Bill couldn't resist giggling and chuckling at me. So what if I didn't look good enough for some _vampire_ to pick up? That didn't concern me _in the least._ Wait, what the hell did he mean by _claimed_.

"It's a vampire's way of protecting a human. They claim the human as their own, and thus no other vampire can touch them. Bill did that to me once to protect me from some of his, uh, friends." Sookie spoke up, having obviously listened into my thoughts just then as I sighed at her. She had the good sense to look a little guilty as she shrugged her shoulders helplessly. "Sorry, I slipped."

"It's alright." I sighed some as I frowned a bit. "I suppose this whole story on how exactly you learnt what claiming is will have to wait for another night?" Sookie nodded as I sighed some and slumped back into the car, the silence reigning once more except for the very old music playing lightly through the speakers.

This was going to be the longest drive I've ever made to Shreveport.

* * *

I frowned as I got out of the car, hearing the music from the bar as I swallowed thickly, glancing at the people milling around. I couldn't for the life of me tell when I was walking by a vampire or human as I trailed behind Sookie and Bill. Everyone was dressed up obnoxiously in leather and heavy eyeliner with crazy colored hairdos; the stereotypical Goth look. Sookie and I were both going to stick out like sore thumbs, more so Sookie than I. At least I had _something_ leather on, I mused to myself as my fingers pulled slightly at the cuffs of my jacket. The less skin I showed, the better.

I watched as Bill wrapped his arm protectively around Sookie as we reached the doorway, glancing back towards me quickly. "Stay close." He murmured gently, but lowly and I swallowed heavily and nodded hearing him. Believe me, I was _not_ going to be wandering at _all_ in this place. I stepped in through the small doorway and looked about, the room filled with reds and blacks, decorated to look the part of a vampire bar. There was techno music playing in the background, and I noticed to my embarrassment that there were also scantily clad women dancing to said music on platforms. Sookie seemed to feel just as out of her element as I did, before all three of us came to a halt as a tall blonde woman stopped Bill.

"Bill," the woman almost cooed as she looked at him, and something about her hit me as off. She was distant, her eyes cold and sarcastic, and beautiful too. I could almost guarantee she was a vampire. "I haven't seen you in a while."

"I'm mainstreaming." Bill answered as I remained behind him and hopefully successfully out of sight. Dear lord, I never thought I'd see the day I ended up hiding behind a vampire to feel safe.

"Good for you." She replied in a clearly disinterested and carefree voice, before directing her attention to Sookie. "Who's the doll?" She asked, her eyes lighting up with interest now as she gazed over my blonde friend.

"Pam this is Sookie, Sookie this is Pam." That's right, don't introduce me, I'm _never_ coming back here again, not ever. If Sookie ever denies me a favor again I will be hanging this night over her head for the rest of her life! Invisibility is key here, and I planned on maintaining it.

"Pleased to meet you!" Sookie spoke up in a clearly enthused voice as she politely held her hand out to shake with the other woman's. Pam just looked at her hand with disinterest once more, and Bill looked away awkwardly as Sookie shifted a bit nervously then.

"What about your other friend behind you?" Pam asked lightly then as she nodded over Bill, and directly at me. Great, just perfect. The one time I actually want to be invisible I'm spotted. "She's got pretty eyes on her." The woman added smoothly as I flushed, stuttering a bit. Hardly anybody complimented my eyes, though I for a fact felt they were indeed pretty. How the hell could she even see my eyes from where she was standing?

 _Vampire, duh_.

"Uh, this is Alexandria, Sookie's friend from Bon Temps." Bill replied, standing to the side and I fought back a look of utter betrayal at him. He was clearly just as uncomfortable with attention being drawn to me as I was, probably because I didn't have this all-powerful claim on me.

"Hmmm, _very_ pretty eyes." Pam cooed as I stiffened and a slow cruel smirk came over her lips like she was sizing me up. "Can I see some I.D.?" She asked then as she glanced back towards Sookie and Sookie's expression turned from anxious to slightly shocked at the question.

"Oh, sure, who'd have thought, getting carded at a vampire bar." Sookie giggled nervously once more as I rolled my eyes, unable to stop myself. Dear lord, at least I could hide my own awkwardness better than she could. Just give her the damn I.D. Sookie and let's get out of here!

Sookie held out the I.D. for Pam to look at, gazing down at the card whilst I dug out my own, figuring I'd be carded too.

"I can no longer tell human ages, we must be careful we serve no minors in _any_ capacity." She answered as she took mine as well and looked it over. _Capacity_ , what in the hell had she meant by that? Clearly I had more things to learn. "Hanson, hm?" She inquired as she lifted her eyes to give me that unsettling look once more, as if she were sizing me up again.

"Uh, yeah. Is there a problem?" I asked, my voice accidentally betraying my slight irritability at having to feel so on edge in this place. I hated feeling like I was being judged, call it post-traumatic bullying stress from public and high school.

"Oh, none at all, retract those claws sweetheart." Pam cooed as I bit down hard on my lower lip. What was it with everyone calling me sweetheart?! "Twenty-five, huh?" She asked us both before looking towards Bill with an amused smirk. "How _sweet_ it is." Bill quickly pushed Sookie past Pam then with a mildly annoyed look and I shuffled behind quietly, my skin crawling as I could feel that woman's eyes following all three of us as Bill led our way further into the bar.

"This feels more like what a vampire bar would look like if we were on a ride at Disneyworld." Sookie commented as I nodded silently in agreement, my eyes looking around both in an attempt to take everything in and to keep an eye out for myself.

"Well, don't get too comfortable, it tends to get more _authentic_ as the night wears on." Bill commented and my eyes widened hearing him. What did he just say? This wasn't as bad as it gets?!

"Um, we'll be out of here by then, right guys?" I asked lightly. "Right?" I squeaked out in a rather embarrassing tone, but both seemed to ignore me as I followed them stupidly further into the bar. Why the hell did I agree to this.

Oh, right, because Sookie didn't want it to look like a fucking date, which is _exactly_ what she wants it turns out.

"Can I get you girls something to drink?" Bill asked lightly as he looked back towards me as well and I nearly jumped at the opportunity. I definitely needed something to quiet down my nerves.

"Yes, please." Sookie replied as I nodded eagerly and I could tell Bill was slightly amused at my enthusiasm. I needed some liquid courage, could he really blame me? I was knee deep in my living nightmare after all. We stepped up to the bar as I stood beside Sookie, before nearly backing right up as the man turned to us, his fangs, his _very real_ fangs out there in the open.

"How's it going, Bill." He murmured in a rather creepy voice as my fingers dug into the bar slightly in my attempt to not turn and bolt like a little girl. This vampire, seeming to notice this, turned and gave me the most lecherous look I've _ever_ seen directed towards me.

"Very well." Bill replied as he leaned against the counter, the vampire behind it smirking.

"I'll say it is, are these your meals for the night?" He asked as I felt a cold shiver run down my spine as my eyes narrowed, but I couldn't find the courage to say anything or tell the vampire to mind his own fucking business.

"These are my friends, Sookie, and Alex. Sookie and Alex, this is Longshadow."

"Nice to meet you." Sookie replied as I nearly wanted to reply at the same time, _no it ain't_. Longshadow continued to give Sookie, more than I now, a rather unsettling stare down, but Sookie seemed to take it in stride. "I'll have a gin and tonic, Alex will have a whiskey and ginger ale." Sookie added in my order for me, for which I was thankful. I don't think I could've found it in me to utter a single word at the moment with how terrified at felt.

"I'll have a bottle of O negative." Bill spoke up before glancing around the bar, looking back to Longshadow as the man finally quit staring at us and moved to make the drinks. "Longshadow, Sookie has some questions she'd like to ask you. Would this be acceptable?" He asked politely as I frowned a bit, waiting for the other vampire's reaction. Sookie meanwhile started to dig into her purse before Longshadow could even answer.

"I just have a couple photos I would love for you to look at." Sookie replied as she showed him the photos of Dawn and Maudette, and I watched intently as he took the photos and stared down at them with cool disinterest. What was it with vampires and having to appear disconnected all the time?

"Yeah, I've seen them both here before." He answered rather assuredly as I managed to get over my anxiety at this, looking at him with interest now. Sookie looked elated hearing his answer. Maybe we were going to get to the bottom of this after all; Dawn deserved some closure.

"That's great, and thank you. Do you happen to remember who they hung around with?" She asked excitedly.

"That's something we don't notice here." Longshadow replied as he leaned against the bar, uncomfortably close in my opinion, but this time his gaze was directed at Bill thankfully. "You won't either."

"Okay then." Sookie surprisingly took his answer, not digging for more. I looked to her, both glad and shocked she wasn't pushing her luck. _Finally, maybe something is starting to click in her head about self-preservation_. "Thank you, I appreciate you taking the time."

"This one," Longshadow surprisingly went on then as I found myself leaning closer seeing him pick up one of the photos. It was the one with Maudette in it. "She wanted to die." I swallowed thickly, my heart stopping hearing him say that. What was that supposed to mean? That she wanted to die or…or be turned?

"How do you know?" Sookie asked, looking unsure now.

"Everyone who comes here does, in their own way." Longshadow answered, his eyes shifting towards Bill once more as Bill looked at him with an unreadable expression. "That's what we are, _death_." Bill didn't say a word to the obvious slight, simply handing Longshadow the bill for their drinks and grabbing his and Sookie's whilst I grabbed my own, eagerly leaving the bar side with the both of them. We found a table near the outskirts of the bar, sitting down in the relative calmness there as Sookie suddenly became unfocused and I could tell she was listening intently to people's minds in the bar.

"How's your drinks?" Bill spoke up suddenly as Sookie and I looked to him.

"A gin and tonic is pretty much a gin and tonic no matter where you drink it." Sookie replied lightly as I smiled knowingly and nodded.

"Same thing for my drink." I replied lightly as I took another sip, the alcohol already rather embarrassingly causing me to relax a bit more after the first few swigs.

"I know exactly what you mean." Bill replied as he drank his own True Blood and Sookie and I looked at him with skeptical glances, before Sookie's attention was once again drawn elsewhere. I followed her gaze out of curiosity, and saw she was looking at a rather broody looking blonde individual sitting upon some sort of chair on the stage.

 _Well, he doesn't look creepy at all._ I thought sarcastically to myself, my gaze dropping back down to my drink as I took another rather large draw from it, feeling the tell tale tingles getting stronger in my limbs. Yeah, I was definitely a lightweight in at least _this_ sense.

"Who's that?" Sookie asked lightly as Bill frowned some and glanced to where she was looking, an unimpressed look flittering across his features as she saw who it was she was looking at.

"Oh, you noticed him, did ya?"

"No, it's not like that, I just-"

"Everyone does." Bill interrupted in a slightly biting tone as I frowned some hearing him, glancing back towards the blonde individual once more now. What could Bill mean by that? He sounded _jealous_. "That's Eric, he's the oldest thing in this bar." I snorted into my drink, having been about to take a sip, after hearing Bill description. Who knew that Bill could be so funny, even when he was clearly irritated by this apparently old vampire.

I looked back up towards the front once more, taking notice that a man was now kneeling in front of him, as if _praying_ to him or something. What the hell was this shit?

"What is that man doing?" I asked then as I looked to Bill for an answer and Bill sighed heavily.

"He's trying to offer himself to Eric to feed upon." He answered and my mouth dropped open in shocked disgust. Humans would literally get on their knees and _beg_ to become some vampire dinner? Especially knowing the risk. A vampire had no moral obligation to stop drinking from a complete stranger before the human died after all. I couldn't believe that people willingly offered themselves up like proverbial cattle to the slaughter! I jumped when suddenly there was a scream, and turned in time to see the man that had been at Eric's feet go flying through the air. I stiffened, about to jump up to go and help him out of instinct as he lay on the ground now, but Bill's hand shot out and grabbed my arm to stop me.

"Don't. The last thing you need to do is get between a vampire and their meal." Bill murmured lowly to me, nodding back towards the man who now had a crowd of hungry looking vampires surrounding him. I shuddered and Bill let me go as I sat back down.

"But shouldn't we help him?"

"This is what he wants. Just watch." Bill murmured then as I turned to do as he said, and saw that a female vampire stepped up to him and offered the injured man her hand. I swallowed thickly, feeling as if I was in some sort of horror film watching the victim as they unknowingly went to their death as he grabbed her offered hand and left the bar with her.

"Still think you're in Disneyworld?" Bill asked lightly to Sookie now as I frowned all the more, looking back towards that asshole at the front of the bar. Well, he was a vampire that was definitely filling the stereotype that I had built my fears upon, and I would do all I could to continue to remain out of his radar.

* * *

We were still sitting there, to my great displeasure, two hours later as Sookie continued to sift through everyone's thoughts at the bar. I remained silent now, observing but making sure I never looked in one place for too long. I was back to feeling on edge after witnessing that scene before with the man and Eric, and desperately wanted to just forgo this whole thing and go home.

But then I remember Dawn, and what she deserved, and I found myself staying without _hardly_ any complaints.

"Are you picking up on anything?" Bill asked lightly after our prolonged silence and I glanced towards Sookie, really hoping she had gotten _something_ so that we could get out of here.

"All anyone is thinking about here is 'sex, sex, sex'." Sookie sighed, obviously frustrated and I snorted a bit in amusement. Well, what did she expect coming to a _vampire_ bar?

"One needn't to be telepathic to pick up on _that_." Bill responded lightly with a knowing smirk as he looked Sookie over for the hundredth time that night and I laughed a bit, shaking my head.

"That's for sure." I muttered as I took in the vastly different and extremely indecent wardrobes donned by the risqué patrons of this bar. Sookie looked a little pleased, but uncomfortable, and I could tell that she had taken Bill's innuendo towards herself.

"Uh oh." Bill suddenly uttered and I looked over at him sharply. Out of everyone at this table, hearing 'uh oh' from a vampire was extremely unsettling.

"'Uh oh'? What do you mean my 'uh oh'?" I asked sharply as I quickly glanced around, before nearly falling off of my stool.

 _He_ was looking directly at _us_.

"Don't say 'uh oh'! Vampires are not supposed to say 'uh oh'." Sookie agreed frantically as I couldn't bring myself to look away from him for some reason. It was like if I let him out of my sights that would be enough for him to kill me, but his stare was intense, even all the way across the room where I could barely make out his eyes. Pam was standing next to him, leaning against his chair as both of them now stared down at our table.

"It's Eric, he's scanned you twice." Bill replied as he glanced over towards Sookie, letting her know that he meant that _she_ was the one being scanned. I was relieved to some degree at least to hear that; my self-preservation has kicked in at this point. "He's going to summon us."

"He can _do_ that?" Sookie asked, clearly shocked, and I nearly groaned whilst downing the rest of my drink.

"Well I'm not going up, he wasn't scanning _me._ " I replied evenly then, but Bill gave me a look.

"Yes you _will_ go up. I'm not about to leave you alone in a bar full of vampires." He replied evenly.

Oh, yeah, right.

I frowned, turning back and felt my heart stop as Eric lifted a single hand and twitched two of his fingers once in a 'come hither' motion. Did he _have_ to make such a simple move seem so arrogant? Sookie took Bill's hand nervously now, and I slid off of my stool, stumbling a bit as I did due to the alcohol now in my system. I wasn't drunk, but it took me a second to get my land legs back. I huffed, feeling slightly embarrassed knowing that someone, at least Eric, had most definitely seen that clumsy moment of mine. I followed the two up silently now, and once we got closer I noticed that despite the long hair (I found long hair on guys unattractive no matter what) Eric was handsome, but anything that could've attracted me to him was quickly doused by my fear and self-doubt.

"Bill Compton." Eric spoke up smoothly as I stood to Bill's opposite side, Sookie standing in closer to him. Pam, meanwhile, oddly looked towards me, a slow smirk coming over her lips, before it dropped as she turned her attention back to Bill and Sookie. Well, _that_ made me feel _so_ comfortable, I mused to myself having tensed over Pam's glance towards me. Was she a lesbian or something? Great, the first individual I've attracted is not only a vampire, but a _female_ one with lesbian tendencies. Not that I had anything against homosexuality, I just wasn't one. What I did have a problem with was necrophilia. "It has been a while."

"Yes, well, I've been-"

"Mainstreaming." Eric finished, effectively interrupting him with arrogance. "I heard." I glanced towards Pam as she looked clearly proud of herself, and realized that these two must have some sort of relationship together. Eric looked towards Sookie then his blue eyes sparking a bit in interest. "I see that is going _well_ for you." He added easily.

"Yes, of course, sorry. This is my friend-"

"Sookie Stackhouse." Eric replied easily as I had to refrain from rolling my eyes. Couldn't he even be politely ignorant and allow Bill to finish his goddamn sentences?

"How do you know my name?" Sookie asked curiously and Pam was the one that spoke up this time.

"I never forget a pretty face." Pam replied easily as she straightened up, looking over to me once more. "Or pretty eyes." She added smoothly and I shifted slightly, feeling extremely uncomfortable and looking down automatically as a reaction to her backhanded compliment. She lifted a finger to her temple, before saying in the most unsettling voice, "You're both in my vault."

"Great…that's just, great." Sookie replied, clearly unsure and trying to remain polite as she turned her attention back towards Eric. "It's nice to meet you."

"Well aren't you sweet?" Eric replied in a monotone voice that screamed sarcasm to me, and Sookie obviously picked up on it too.

"Not really." She replied evenly, and Bill tugged at her sharply to get her to stop. Eric snorted slightly as a slow smile came over his lips, obviously amused by Sookie's behavior. I for one wasn't; was she trying to get herself and us all killed?!

"And what of your mute friend here?" Eric asked then, his attention turning to me as I felt his unsettling gaze. "Alexandria Hanson, am I correct?"

"You are." I replied, short and sweet as I managed to get enough courage up to look him back in the eyes. His own were the coldest blue I had ever seen, and as he looked at me I felt like a bucket of ice had been dumped over my head. I wanted out of here, _now_.

"You don't seem to be enjoying yourself as much as Bill and Sookie here." Eric stated evenly as I shook my head, figuring it wouldn't do me any good to lie.

"To be completely honest I never wanted to come here in the first place."

"A breather who didn't want to come into a vampire bar, and yet here you stand." Pam replied lightly as she smirked coolly. "Imagine that."

"You do stupid things for those you consider your family." I replied evenly and both Eric and Pam seemed to quieted at that, observing me with both of their unsettling gazes. I had _no_ idea what they were thinking at this point and I absolutely _hated_ it. Eric turned his head to speak to Pam, and I recognized the language as Swedish. I couldn't speak the language, nor translate it, but the tone and sound was much the same as my grandparents used to speak when I was little. They were both of Swedish descent.

"Miss. Stackhouse I believe you've been asking questions about some my customers? Eric asked rather sharply.

"Yes, I have."

"If you have anything to ask you should ask it of _me_." Eric continued in his stern voice, his gaze slowly turning from Pam back to the three of us.

"Alrighty." Sookie replied as she started to dig through her purse for the photos, and I could tell she was starting to feel just as on edge as I have been this entire night. "You recognize either one of these girls?" She asked as she handed the photos of Dawn and Maudette over. Eric hummed deep in his chest as he looked at the photos, a _pleased_ hum, and a sound that for some unfathomable reason sent a shiver down my spine.

"This one offered herself to me, but I found her too pathetic for my intentions." Eric murmured about Maudette as he pointed to the photo. Well, I couldn't help thinking he had probably been right in his assumptions. "But this one," He added silkily as he grinned a bit pointing at Dawn's photo, "I have tasted." He murmured as he looked up, but for some reason he looked directly towards me instead, his blue eyes locking on my own once again. I fought the urge to swallow heavily, shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other as I did.

"I remember them both." Pam hummed pleasantly as Sookie's eyes snapped up to her.

"On account of the vault?" She asked rather snootily and I turned my head sharply towards her, seeing Bill grasp her hand tightly once more to stop her. When would Sookie learn to fucking _shut-up_ , especially when we were getting someone on Dawn's murder?!

"Never had either of them though, neither were really my type." Pam replied silkily as she gave Sookie a look, and I was glad she had obviously looked over Sookie's attitude.

"Well, thank you very much, that is all your time I need to take." Sookie spoke up, reaching for the photos and taking them back, almost hastily trying to shove them into her purse.

"I'm not done with you yet." Eric turned his attention back to Sookie; I only just realized he'd been staring at me even as I had turned to look at Sookie and it made me feel rather uncomfortable. I wasn't used to _anybody_ , let alone a male vampire, looking at me so…intently. "Please, sit." Eric cooed as he motioned for Sookie to take the seat next to him now, and Bill looked entirely uncomfortable. Sookie didn't look any more comfortable as she took the seat now, and Bill shifted a bit closer to me at this point now that Sookie was clearly out of reach. It was then that I realized at some point that night I had started to trust Bill with my safety; when the hell had _that_ happened?

"Are you quite _attached_ to your friend?" Eric asked, clearly implying something much deeper than his statement as I looked towards Sookie who was staring uncomfortably at Eric now. Bill tensed, stepping forward now and in the most menacing voice I've yet heard him use he uttered his claim.

"She is _mine_." He growled low in his chest as Sookie glanced towards him and I watched on with morbid interest. He indeed was very possessive of Sookie, and that thought comforted me at the moment with Sookie being obviously scrutinized by Eric, but in any other situation I'd be concerned for her safety from _Bill_.

"Yes, I _am_ his." Sookie insisted then as she looked back to Eric who glanced from Bill to her, looking slightly amused.

"What a pity, for me." Eric murmured lowly, his voice huskily as his eyes slowly dragged along Sookie's form and I watched as he licked at his lips, the action entirely sexual in nature. He turned sharply back to Bill and I, motioning to his other side and it was only then that I noticed two more chairs had been silently brought up to the stage. "Sit with us," Eric insisted, his eyes slowly going from Bill and staring at me now. I honestly don't know how my heart has lasted the past few hours with how erratically it sped up and down this entire night, even more so now with his cool eyes staring at me once more. "Bill, we have catching up to do, you and I. It has been _too_ long." He added.

"Yes." Bill muttered, looking entirely reluctant, before he placed his hand on my lower back, guiding me to the seat furthest away from Eric and sitting down in the seat next to him.

I knew, begrudgingly, that I'd have to thank him later for looking out for me as well.

Eric had thankfully turned his intent stare back to Sookie, but I noticed that she looked rather distracted. Obviously she was listening into more thoughts at the moment, perhaps even testing to see if she could hear Eric's thoughts. What the hell was she doing practicing that around a vampire like _him_?!

"We have to get out of here." Sookie spoke up suddenly, urgently as I stiffened hearing her. Bill looked surprised and concerned, but most likely because she had interrupted the blonde asshole.

"Sookie-"

"Eric, the cops are coming, there is going to be a raid." Sookie spoke over Bill as I nearly groaned hearing her, running my fingers through my hair. Though mine was a groan of relief, not irritation. Yes, let's get the fuck out of here. Now!

"Tell me you're not an undercover cop." Eric growled out, though he remained relaxed despite his tone as Pam stiffened up slightly at his side.

"I'm not, but the man in the hat is." Sookie replied and I nearly reached over to slap her. Way to throw another human under the proverbial bus, Sookie! I screamed in my head as I noticed the murderous glint that Eric's eyes gained as he looked directly at the said undercover cop.

"Even if you're right we do nothing illegal here." Eric replied assuredly, which seemed to cause Pam to relax at his side and I nearly slumped in disappointment in my chair. Why couldn't we just _leave_? Why couldn't _I_ leave? Obviously I wasn't of any interest to _anybody_ there. Not that I'm complaining, I really didn't want the attention, I just wanted this night to be over with and back in the safety of my bed.

"There is a vampire named Taryn in the ladies room with that man that you kicked before. She's feeding on him." Sookie replied quickly as I couldn't stop myself from sighing heavily, knowing that now the questions would arise. I didn't have to know that whatever it was Sookie was it wasn't supposed to be common knowledge. It was just a _feeling_ I had, and here she was practically screaming it to the singularly most dangerous person she could be.

"God love you Sookie, but you are an idiot." I muttered, knowing Sookie wouldn't hear me over the music, but judging by the slightly amused look Eric and Pam both sent my way, they had. Their attention was only diverted for a second though before they both turned their interest back to the blonde telepath.

"How do you know this?" Pam demanded as Eric looked on with silent interest, and I saw Bill sharply shake his head from the corner of my eye.

"Police! Police! Get down!" Men started to shout as all of us stood up sharply then, and Eric spoke up above the chaos.

"Follow me." He told us calmly, and Bill reached across for Sookie to take her hand, holding her close to him as we filed off of the stage. I felt a hand on my lower back, Bill's hand no doubt, as we moved through the dark hallway and another arm reached out around me and flung the door open as we stepped out into the night.

Wait, okay, basic addition here. If Bill was using one hand to hold onto Sookie and the other to guide me, he was using two arms. Then _how_ could he have opened the door? I turned sharply, stepping away from the hand that was on my back to find it had in fact been _Eric_ that had guided me through the dark hallway. He was tall, freakishly so, something I hadn't been able to tell when he was sitting down before, slouched in his chair, throne, whatever it may have been. He looked down at me, smirking some in amusement at my clear shock, but let his hand slide from my back, and to my horror, over the curve of my ass before it dropped from me completely.

"Pam was right, you _do_ have pretty eyes, Miss. Hanson." Eric murmured easily, before stepping away with Pam as Bill came out with Sookie and swiftly picked her up in his arms. "I enjoyed meeting you Miss. Hanson and Miss. Stackhouse. You _will_ come again." He murmured as if in an order, and I felt extremely flustered at that as he and Pam fairly well glided away. Bill ran with us back to the car, the screams and shouts from the police and patrons heard from inside the bar as we slid in. Where Eric's hand had touched my lower back was still tingling to my utter disgust as I slid into the backseat of Bill's car.

Like _hell_ I was ever stepping in that place again, and I refused to ever see him or Pam again.

* * *

It was tense in the car as we drove away, Bill had some sort of strange music on again and this time it was even getting on Sookie's nerves.

"Can we turn that down?" She asked firmly, yet obviously trying to be polite as Bill turned it down gently. "What language is that?"

"Cambodian. You don't like it?" Bill asked lightly as Sookie reached forward now and flicked off the music completely this time.

"You think we can pull over for a minute?" She asked, swallowing thickly and I seconded the motion as I sat forward in my seat. "I need things to stop."

"Sure." Bill murmured, looking rather concerned as he did as she asked, pulling over to the side of the road onto a small dirt pullover path.

"I just need a couple minutes of quiet and then we can go." Sookie swallowed heavily once more as I reached for the doorhandle then.

"And I need some fresh air, just shout when you're ready." I murmured as I slid out of the car, suddenly feeling like I wasn't meant to be there as I shut the door quietly behind me and wandered a little ways away. The air was thick, but clean and comforting as I took large mouthfuls of it, fighting back the nauseous feeling I had being having since we had set out on the road. I think it was a combination of my stress levels finally catching up to me from the bar, along with the drink I had. Either way the air was helping, and I was feeling almost instantly better as I stretched my legs.

I couldn't believe that Eric character; so assured of himself to the point of being utterly arrogant. Really, now that I wasn't scared of him, I was pretty disgusted with his attitude. Sure, he was hot, any straight woman or gay man could attest to that, but he also appeared to be a complete and utter asshole that scared the living daylights out of me.

I sighed some, before frowning as I noticed a single car heading down the highway, and groaned realizing it was a cop. "Shit, could this night get any worse?" I muttered as I turned sharply back to the car, the sirens going off and lights flashing just as I made it to the door.

"We've got company." I muttered lowly as I slid in, taking noticed that both of their heads were leaning in awfully close. Aw shit, were they about to _kiss_?

"This cannot be happening." Sookie groaned as she sat back then, clearly disgruntled whilst Bill looked increasingly uncomfortable, almost angry as he leaned back into his own seat. The officer meanwhile strode up beside the car, knocking the end of his flashlight lightly against the rear window

"Open up!" He commanded and Sookie looked between Bill and I frantically.

"Just let me do the talking, guys, okay?" She murmured in a hushed voice, and I nearly rolled my eyes.

Oh yeah, here we go.

Bill rolled down the window, exuding irritability at this point as I watched Sookie lean over, looking as pleasant as she ever had.

"Hello, Officer." She spoke up and for some reason I felt my irritating going with her sickly sweet voice. What on earth was the matter with me tonight? I felt like I was an a short fuse or something. I seriously just needed to go home and sleep this horrible day away.

"What are you doing out this late at night?"

"Driving home from a date."

"A date, huh?" The Officer questioned skeptically as he glanced towards me in the backseat. Awesome Sookie, you've obviously saved us all from looking fucking suspicious. A _date_? Now he is definitely going to either think we're lying or part of some weird ass cult.

"We're raiding a bar not to far from here." The Officer continued dubiously as he looked at all three of us. "Y'all coming from there by any chance?"

"No, not us." Sookie replied, though I could tell she was losing confidence in her own story now as she shook her head.

"It's called _Fangtasia_ ; that ring any bells?" He asked and Sookie actually stiffened up instead of continuing to lie. Way to go, Sookie.

"No, actually, not at all. We're not exactly familiar with vampire hang outs." I spoke up from the back. "We were hanging out at Macky's in town, down on the main street?" I added as I leaned forward whilst the officer looked back at me now.

"How about you, _son_." The Officer asked as he looked over towards Bill, obviously still suspicious. "You seem awfully quiet. Don't you talk?" He asked rather rudely; clearly he was the power tripping type.

"I'm a man of few words." Bill ground out in a very unpleasant voice as I almost threw up my hands in surrender right then and there. We were getting thrown into jail, just fucking perfect.

"Oh, a man of few words." The Officer snorted slightly in amusement as he smirked at Bill. "Alright then." He hummed as he looked back over to Sookie. "Would you shine this here light on your neck, Miss? If you don't mind?" Bill turned away from the officer then, his fangs dropping as I stiffened and shifted back further into my seat now. He looked absolutely furious as Sookie looked slightly scared, but shifted nonetheless and moved her hair from her neck.

"Not at all." She murmured, allowing him to shine the light there to see that there were no holes.

"Why don't you ask if you can shine that light between her legs as well?" Bill asked angrily, and for the first time tonight I was terrified of _him_.

"Excuse me!" The Officer frowned as he reached for his gun and Sookie looked absolutely shocked.

"Bill!" She hissed in reprimand as she sat back, her hair falling into place once more.

"Vampires sometimes like to feed from the femoral artery." Bill went on, is voice still holding an edge even as he tried to pass his statement off as an innocent explanation. I furrowed my eyebrows in concern as I watched him. Why was he behaving like this? I'd never seen him act with aggression towards an _innocent_ human; but then again, I shouldn't be judging from what little I've seen or know about him. He is a vampire first and foremost, and luckily he was reminding me of that scary fact tonight. "The blood flows more freely down there. So one doesn't have to suck as hard." He continued, slowly turning towards the Officer with his fangs bared. I tensed, holding my breath; was he going to _kill_ him?! "Or so I've been told."

The Officer was obviously and rightly frightened at this point as he grabbed his gun, pointing it directly at Bill as he did. Both gun and flashlight were shaking in his hands as the poor man breathed heavily, and Bill continued to stare straight at him with this eerie calmness. Suddenly, though, the shaking stopped, and the Officer's face became lax as Bill began to speak once more.

"I like your gun." He murmured lowly, "It's a beautiful weapon."

"Thank you." The Officers voice didn't seem quite right. It was like he was in some sort of trance. I finally clicked into the realization that Bill was _glamouring_ him. What was he going to do? Make the man shoot himself?!

"May I have it?"

"Bill, I want you to stop this right now." Sookie spoke up, clearly as frightened as I was at this point. Good, it was about fucking time she realized who she was dealing with and acted rational about it like the rest of us. Meanwhile I'm my own worst hypocrite at the moment as I sat in said vampire's backseat, after spending the night with said vampire and actually having started to feel like I could trust him.

"Sure, I guess." The Officer responded dazedly as I watched him hand the gun over to Bill. So what, was Bill going to shoot him himself now?

"Nice, it's heavier than I imagined." Bill commented and now I knew he was just drawing this out. He could've taken the gun and we could've been long gone by now. No, he was being sadistic at this point, he was giving into that vampire nature he denounced so often. "Is it loaded?"

"Well, yes. Yes it is." I swallowed heavily, my fingers digging into the cushion of the backseat below me as I shifted tighter into the back corner of the car, wishing I could close my eyes and not watch this, but unable to do so.

"Good."

"Bill you are freaking us both out!" Sookie exclaimed, obviously picking up on my own fear at the moment as we both watched, horrified, when he lifted the gun and pointed it at the Officer.

"Now you listen to me, Officer." Bill began as he watched the man intently. "I do not take kindly to you shining your light into the eyes of my female companion." He was definitely tapping into his possessive side, and if this was it, the Sookie wasn't ever going to have a healthy relationship with him. Not that I ever really believed that possible to begin with. I had to tell Sam, I had to tell Tara, I had to tell her Gran; _someone_ that would make her see reason because obviously I couldn't. "And as I have more than one hundred years on you, I do not take kindly to you calling me _son_." Okay, so he may have a valid point there, but not worth _killing_ someone over. "So the next time you pull someone over on suspicion of being a vampire, you better pray to god that you are wrong." He threatened, and I swallowed thickly, looking on wide eyed. "Because that vampire may not be as kind to you as I'm about to be." I instantly relaxed in my seat hearing him.

"Oh thank god." I whispered to myself, realizing now that he wasn't intending to kill the man, but I was still freaked out nonetheless.

"I'm not going to kill you." Bill continued calmly as the man looked on stupidly, not realizing then that his life was hanging in the balance as his own gun was pointed directly at his face. "But I _am_ going to keep your gun. Does that sound fair?"

"Yes." The Officer replied hypnotically.

"Yes, what?" Bill hissed out with an authoritative tone.

"Yes, sir." He responded quickly then, and Bill slowly pulled the gun back.

"There ya go." He praised as he did. "You have a nice night." He murmured as Sookie and I both looked on, unsure of even what to say at this point. Bill started the car, heading down the highway once more and leaving the poor Officer standing there on that dirt path.

The silence was heavy in the car the entire ride home, and I found myself counting the _seconds_ till I could finally walk through my front door.

* * *

There we be! Chapter two! :) I had a lot of fun writing the freezer scene between Alex and Jason...as you could probably tell :P. As always please review with your thoughts or some constructive feedback, always open to both!

Thanks again and will post once more next weekend!

JumbledThoughts


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